


Anhedonia

by lisztomaniac



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I know not a lot of people will read it but, Mingyu is a dog dad, Multi, Neighbors, Reader is OC as well, Seokmin cooks & has a good fashion sense, There is no assurance of a happy ending, Wonwoo loves plants, crazy girlfriends, it's okay I just have to channel out my thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-18
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2018-12-16 19:30:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 33,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11835510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lisztomaniac/pseuds/lisztomaniac
Summary: Baek Yerin is a step across the finish line.Kim Mingyu, her obnoxiously tall neighbor, is sprinting with his equally obnoxious long legs at a desperate attempt to pull her back at the start again.





	1. Yerin's Constellation Tumbler

 

Comfortable, almost tattered (at least, on the inside.  No one will know.)- check. Gray backpack (It just turned five this year, which signifies the number of years that her mom last gave her a gift)- check. Peach-colored hoodie-check. Black Swatch- check. Tall neighbor beside her- wait, where was Mingyu?

It was years back when he instructed Yerin to ALWAYS hold the elevator door for him, a plead the she just completely nodded to. He was barely tardy at all, except when he got sick on a Monday morning and came out looking like shit, but nevertheless was still, a presentable human being if not for the snot running down his nose and the momentary sneezes that she had to put up with while they were conversing (mostly, it was Mingyu talking. No known virus can affect the positivity of this guy) from their floor to the bus stop.

 

"Hey! I'm coming." Mingyu proclaimed. His hands were flailing wildly at her, long legs striding as he raced for the elevator. Yerin was envious at his inabilty to become breathless even though the elevator was on the other end of their homes. She once asked him his secret of his insane height, and he proudly endorsed the milk he that he drank everyday.

"Good morning, Yerin! Gotta help mom with little sis' lunch. She also wants to give your mom food later at dinner time. Is Auntie Baek going to be home at 7?"

 

"Yeah..." Yerin drifted off, thinking why Mingyu, whose blueprint tubes got entangled with his backpack, was proposing a fight with the objects, twisting and turning his body as he fixed their positions on his shoulders. He had an unamusing attribute of a child amidst his toned torso peeking out of his gray overall. "Oh right, she's doing overtime tonight."

His brows furrowed and he protuted his lips at his struggle, testing the patience of Yerin. Finally, she grab hold of his tubes and had his backpack settled on him before handing them out. "Thanks," he huffed and smiled apologetically, eyes crinkling. "That's a shame, but the silver lining of this is that you get to eat with us! Don't worry, we have more food for Auntie Baek. Which reminds me..." He slung his backpack on his unoccupied shoulders, making Yerin sigh and roll her eyes. Mingyu shot her a questioning look. "What was that for?" He asked, and he handed a container filled with kimbap to her."I thought... haha, never mind." She exclaimed, noticing that he had easily hooked his bag again on his back without strangling it or his tubes. "Thank you! Oh, and you can have this, minus the tumbler, of course." On her previously vacant hand was a small thermos that fit snuggly inside her bag, only to be given to Mingyu as gratitude. She was not certain of his taste for coffee, but she hoped he preferred the bleakness of one-hundred percent ground coffee."Just put sugar or milk if you don't prefer black." She said, but her words were unnecessary when she saw his eyes lit up upon seeing the motion of drinking present in his throat."This is the bomb, Yerin. We should do food trading between ourselves more often."

 

She averted her gaze from him, afraid that her cheeks would appear in the shade of red if she looked at Mingyu, who just complimented her. "Don't thank me, thank my coffee brewer."

 

Yerin and Mingyu spent their time together like this everyday, sans the food swapping. It was something new yet oddly familiar to them, as if the meal trade off was part of their normal circumstance for the past decade. Yerin sneaked in a piece or two of kimbap when her professors were not looking, chewing the meal that sent her a giddy feeling as she ate it under the folds of her arms. At Mingyu's college cafeteria, however, a tumbler was not what he expected to be an end of a relationship. 

Just as he predicted, Yerin did have dinner at the Kim household due to her mother's absence. She slid a wrapped present to Minseo's side of the table, the younger girl squealing in delight when it was a notepad of the highest quality; smooth to both write and draw on. Mingyu's younger sister had the knack for drawing, a talent that both siblings possess, and when the chopsticks and bowls where put into the sink, the youngest person in the apartment hugged Yerin as she was preparing her mother's meals in transportable containers."This is so sweet of you! Just exactly what I wanted.""No biggie, Minseo. Follow your dreams, okay? I'm sure you're going to be a great artist someday." Yerin encouragingly said.

 

"I will! I'm planning to go Hongkik." Minseo whispered afterwards. "Fortunately Mingyu has graduated by then."

"Yeah, and you will be under my watchful guidance." Mingyu's voice boomed at the back of his sister's ear, earning a vengeful slap from her. "No boyfriends until I say so."

 

"Also, I'd like to get out of this patriarchal household," Minseo declared, arms crossed around her chest. "That's why I'm going to move to Yerin's house next door. Plus, she gives me the best pesents." She sneered at her brother, who was sending a confused and annoyed face at a giggling Yerin.

"Well, I'm sorry I can't wrap Wonwoo in a present because he's too busy memorizing the human anatomy!" Mingyu shot back, bending over to set an eye-level stare at his sister, who bent her body away from him. "Besides, he's got a no-dating ban as well. Not until he graduates.""Did you impose that on him as well? What are you, his dad?""Why are you so keen on marrying Jeon Wonwoo?" Mingyu inquired, giving up at his sister's perseverance of marital promises with his high school friend. He laughed at her childishness, ruffling her hair in the process. He had no idea how much Yerin thought of his exclamation of happiness toward his sister as something that he possessed deeply, which was both a blessing and a curse."He's cute and studious." Minseo said simply."Oh, he's what your not." Mingyu retorted back, sprinting toward his room, initiating the range inside Minseo. Unfortunately, his athlete of a brother managed to go back to his safe haven with the door locked, and howls of laughter came from it. Minseo kicked and shouted at the poor obstacle between her and Mingyu, but she toned down for a while, an angelical grin etched on her face as she turned at Yerin, who finished packing.

 

"Thank you so so much for the present again! I'm gonna get you a great one as well, meaning SOMEBODY here won't get a knife set that he was staring at in the department store!"

"As if you can afford that!" Mingyu's muffled voice shouted back."Maybe I can't but I'd probably buy one and slit your throat while you drool on your plates!" Minseo threatened, regretting her words afterwards, eyeing her dad in front of the television, who seemed too engrossed on a football game, and oblivious to the death wish that his daughter sent to his first born. She sighed in relief at his ignorance, and proceeded to banging down her brother's door. "I hope Auntie Baek will have a great meal! Goodnight Yerin." She bowed, an action too uncommon in their society, but nevertheless was special to Yerin due to Minseo's unwavering respect for her, even after years of living next-door to her and seeing her grow out of her idol group phase to her refined preference of classical instrumentals.

 

When Yerin got back at her own place, solemnity was the only thing ringing in her house. She already missed the dynamics of the Kim household, the warmth it gave off, and Mingyu's presence. She had liked him as long as she can remember, to the point that no reason can defend her affection for the boy; it just came off naturally. The thought and presence of Mingyu came in two sets most of the time: he provided her comfort while sending running and panicking neurotransmitters inside her body, conversations with him consisted of exploding questions inside her head yet restrained by her inability to speak as casually as he did, and her actions were either spontaneously doting or judgment hiding affection. Confessing was always in thought but never put into practice, supporting the "friendship first" ideal that sometimes sickened Yerin whenever she wished his presence beside her at sleepless nights. If only the wall between them would miraculously break so she could nuzzle on his neck, enveloping the warmth that he gave off, which was only given to her in small dosages through radiant smiles and arm-shouldering when crossing the street.

Yerin absentmindedly did her nightly routine, applying toner on her previously acne-infested face that still had remnants of her horrible skin condition in her teenage years. Thank God for dermatologists. Her mother rang the intercom, her face weary, but a smile appeared on her face the moment she heard her daughter's voice.

 

"Mingyu made your favorite, mom! Oh, it was Minseo's birthday as well, so there's cake in the fridge." Yerin eagerly recited, pulling her mom to the dining table for two. She opened containers with the alluring scents of sautéed vegetables (her mom's favorite), bulgogi, and steamed, fluffy rice. Her mom ate gleefully as Yerin highlighted her notes.

"Hey mom, Minseo's stil pinning on Wonwoo." She chuckled, spit targetting her handouts and grossing out herself."Really? That tall, handsome pre-med boy that her brother's friends with?""Yeah. She hid behind me when Wonwoo went next door to attend Mingyu's birthday party when we were eleven. I thought she'd get over the phase."They conversation was interrupted when the telecom buzzed, revealing Mingyu in his jersey that bore a resemlance to her tumbler in color. "I settled things with the birthday girl, but she hid in her room when I Skyped Jeon." Mingyu said with a mockingly defeated voice. "Here you go. Washed and cleaned it myself- Oh! Auntie Park! You're here! I made the stirred vegetables myself!" He bowed upon seeing Yerin's mom eating."You should really teach Yerin how to cook, Gyu." She remarked, raising two thumbs up."I will, Auntie Park!" He lowered his voice just audible enough for Yerin to hear. "I can teach you a lot of things, Yerin. I practically know everything."She was used to Mingyu's annoying sexual innuendos, so Yerin retorted back. "Hm, is that so? Can you teach me about anger management? _Gender equality?_ Minseo would be very pleased to join me in your session."Mingyu clenched his teeth and narrowed his eyes at her, actions that he thought made him look serious yet his cheeks always extended, making him look like a person deserving a good and affectionate pat on the head. He robotically extended his arm to her and gave her tumbler back, said goodnight flatly (but cheerfully for her mom), and went back to his place.The next day, Mingyu and Yerin laughed off the former's irrationality, and to his surprise, Yerin handed him a blue tumbler with constellations indicating his horoscope sign. It was not the one that he used yesterday, although it looked identical to her black one. Upon realizing this, he felt heat creeping into his nape, travelling toward his cheeks. "Thanks, but you didn't have to. Auntie deserves it.""She doesn't drink coffee. She loves chamomile tea though!" She said, rather cheerily."Someone's obviously in a good mood." Mingyu noticed and poked her arm teasingly. He pinched it afterwards, finding the idea of his neighbor in love adorable, and while he _did_ jump into a conclusion that she might have had, officially found someone that bailed her out of her serene life, (in a way she reminded him of Wonwoo. The two got along pretty well, so whenever his bookish friend came by he would remind that a girl who was equally obsessed with the classics lived just a doorstep away, Wonwoo would blush.) he was happier that he would ever be. Not that he _never_ thought of Yerin as someone who he would hold hands with; it was comfortable hanging out with her, her snarky remarks only came out if she had devoted an ample amount of her life with someone, and Mingyu almost always laughed (or retorted back, only to receive a triumphant grin or a "I-told-you-so" expression from her) at her words. Curse her vast knowledge for literary insults. Mingyu had thought about it, how they would be together, but the fear of the disintegration of their possible relationship may also mean, cutting off ties with a dear friend, who was almost like family to him."I am? Oh." She smiled to herself. "Hmm, I just had a good sleep, that's all. Did I ever tell you that I dream about getting late to class, or getting cursed at in front of everybody by my professor?" She groaned at the thought of it.

 

"Oh yeah. If I were you I'd rather pull all-nighters on plates that aren't even that important." He replied, and they both chuckled. The ding of the elevator revealed someone Mingyu was not expecting. There stood at the entrance a girl who made the passerby look like midgets with her ridiculously tall stature (Yerin included), and as if her height was not enough, she chose to wear stilettos. Her monochromatic scheme in her outfit, coupled with crimson lips and ruler-straight hair, screamed dominance. Fortunately her exterior did not seem to match her personality as he greeted her surprised boyfriend with a smile and a tug on his arm.

Mingyu initiated their introductions. "Oh, have you guys met? Sohyun, this is Yerin, my neighbor. Yerin, Sohyun."

 

Yerin stood in front of the couple, completely aware and mortified at her height difference from them. "Hi!" She bowed reverently, extending an arm for her to shake.

"Relax, we're of the same age!" Sohyun replied, but nevertheless she shook hands with her, oblivious to the upcoming tension with her boyfriend later."I hope to see you more often! I gotta go right now. Believe it or not my 8 AM professor is earlier than anyone of us, and she gets extremely cranky when no one can compete with her punctuality." She bowed again, and dashed to for the bus that was already collecting heaps of people just right outside of their building."Shame, she should've rode with us." Sohyun exclaimed, but at the back of her mind, privacy with her good-looking boyfriend was something she always looked forward to."Nah, she's gonna be okay," he held her waist assuringly as they walked out of the exit. "She can squish through heaps of people. It's a talent uniquely hers."It _was_ her talent, but Yerin did not exactly enjoyed it. Luckily she grabbed a seat before a jumpy male student with the nameplate "Lee Chan" managed to, and they even had a race for it. Yerin slumped on her seat, uneasy melancholy enveloping her previous positive disposition, and she knew all too well of its cause. She would unashamedly declare it, but only under the depths of the night, or in her conciousness that was already throbbing endlessly with technical business terms and thoughts of a taken Mingyu.At lunch break, Sohyun insisted to go to a cafe, promising her boyfriend that she would pay all. Mingyu was a simple guy after all, and received a peck on the lips when he nodded, even though she knew that he brought food for the both of them.She noticed once again that he was using a thermos, but in a different color. "How many of those do you own?""Just one, but I borrowed this."Sohyun had a scary photographic memory, and she instantly remembered Yerin using both of the tumblers at a café near their home. "Oh, from who then?"Mingyu averted his attention from a doodle he was shading, and looked at his girlfriend who was giving him a domineering, eyebrow-raising look. "It's Yerin's. Why?"Sohyun tut-tutted, and from that moment on, Mingyu realized why she kept strings of former boyfriends. "Is she aware of our relationship?""Of course. She was one of the first people that I told. Even before mom.""She's that special to you?""You know how moms react when their kids get girlfriends.""Reality check, Mingyu. My mom pretends I don't exist!" She fumed out, causing Mingyu to jump from his seat, pressing his hand onto hers with gentle pressure."Whoa, calm down. She's very trustworthy, all right? And she even helped me explain the whole thing to mom.""I haven't even met your mom!""You could've said so." Mingyu exclaimed, frustration swelling up from the back of his neck. "God, you're being irrational.""I am?! If weren't fucking around with a pig next door, then we wouldn't be having this argument."Something in him snapped, and he bolted out of his chair, causing a loud thud inside the café, and all eyes were automatically on them. He tucked his notebook and placed the lid shut on the untouched meal that his mother had prepared for Sohyun. It dawned to him that she had in fact, insulted his mother indirectly, for she had barely touched any of her prepared meals in the span of their three-month relationship. Sohyun was always out eating, showing the world how her crazy expenditures had no limits, and Mingyu felt stupid for tagging along with her. "That's it. We're done."Sohyun scoffed at his proclamation, and even had the confidence to reply back. "You'd be coming back to me."Whenever Mingyu was frustrated, he blew his bangs in exasperation, and he did. He also realized he needed a haircut.Yerin was busy encoding input on Excel when Sohyun entered grandly at the café that she frequented at, and placed a series of liquid containers in front of her. "Yerin, take your pick." She hissed, arms and legs crossed.Usually, her head processed information slowly, but it had somehow managed to make sense to her. She grabbed a sleek-looking thermos in the shade of gray. "This one please, and thank you.""You sly bitch. Stealing my boyfriend in daylight!" She accused."Look, why would I date a guy who clearly has no knowledge of personal hygiene, unless you held hands with him after he sneezed.""Pathetic, you're using humor to retort back." Sohyun rolled her eyes."I'm stating facts." Yerin said, and caught the eye of the manager that she had long befriended, who then asked Sohyun to leave the establishment as quickly as possible at the failure of purchasing a product, to which she fought back by showering the counter with a good amount of money, and walked off. When she was out of sight, Yerin slumped her back on the recliner, shaking and her head pounding. Maybe she had too much caffeine that day, but the manager sat across her, handed her a cup of warm chocolate, saying it was on the house, and chuckled when he made mention that they earned a huge profit today albeit selling less. It eased her frustration, and decided to finish her work at home as she talked with the manager, failing to notice the time that had passed."Um, thanks for the warning?" Wasn't the first words that Mingyu expected to hear from Yerin upon opening the door for him. He entered their vast abode, which was a little too big for a two-person occupancy. Weirdly enough Yerin held her study sessions in the living room, and put her sole musical equipment, a keyboard, inside her room, just beside a shelved collection of books and writings. "Oddly enough she knows where I hang out, did you tell her?""What? Where?""Okay, this is getting creepy. Did she put a tracker on me or something? Maybe you did, subconsciously, of course." She nudged him on his chest.Mingyu laughed. "Hell no. I know your cycle. Sleep, eat, homework, video games. You are Wonwoo's girl version, after all.""Well then, I hope to be as fruitful in my studying as Jeon Wonwoo!" She exclaimed patriotically."As you wish, but hey, I'm sorry for what she did. Are you okay?""It's fine. Hot choco was on the house earlier. The manager's my friend, and he was really grateful that he got a big tip from Sohyun. She kept a stash of money in her wallet! The biggest I've ever seen. You should've stolen it during of your make out sessions."Mingyu threw a pillow directly on her face. "I'm not that greedy.""I'm just curious, Mingyu..." she trailed off."If I'm a good kisser?" He replied huskily beside her, her heartbeat racing at an irrational rate. Yerin's thoughts instantly became blank, and it took her a few moments to re-think her question. She shot him back a glare."Why did you date Sohyun? You could've done better."Mingyu scooted closer to her, and a genuine grin appeared on his face. "I honestly don't know myself. But now that you've said it, I'm curious myself: what do you think of me?""As I've said, you could've done better. You know yourself." Yerin whispered, although the silence of her home barely concealed any audible thought. Mingyu contemplated on her words, and his ability to speak up temporarily shut down. He suddenly felt a hand running through his head, and it was one of the most comforting motions that he felt from his body. "Hey, you cut your hair! New ex, new 'do, huh?"That snapped him back to reality, although it was flattering that she noticed. Mingyu swatted her arm off and clicked his tongue irritatingly, initiating a pillow fight as he grabbed the obstacle between them and used it to hit her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had some of the first chapters finished... but my indecisiveness postponed the conclusion of this (and all of my chaptered works, to be honest) to six months. I've got a few surprises for you guys as this story begins to unravel. Hope you'd be up for it! 
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	2. Hansol's New Clock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The light has become clearer, and Mingyu has finally seen the clarity that is Yerin. Meanwhile, Hansol the new neighbor finds himself sandwiched in the most heated (not to mention, petty) debate between them.

Yerin's ordinary days came to an end when a new family, another unit of abstract thinkers and creative folks with equally artistic children moved in. They owned fascinating furniture pieces, numerous canvases, and old records played on a turntable just like most of the tenants of their apartment. She smiled bashfully as she passed by the Caucasian mother, before momentarily catching a glimpse of the vivid interior of their new home.

"You like what you see, dear?" She said in English.

"Yes." Yerin replied. She found her answer too short and quite rude; she often thought that the inventors of the English language should have had incorporated respectful suffixes like her native language had, so she bowed discreetly and offered a handshake, her left hand resting on the extended one.

"You're very respectful, aren't you?" The woman remarked, obviously pleased at her manners. "Sol, Sofia! There's someone outside that I'd like you to meet." She called out from behind, and gradually, a girl with brown, wispy bangs that bared hid her sleepy state smiled at Yerin as she greeted her, introducing herself as Sofia. "Han's going to here in a bit. He just finished showering." The younger girl informed her mom.

Sofia was an exceptional beauty at a tender age of fifteen. She bore Eastern characteristics, with the small slant in her eyes as a minimum giveaway of her Asian heritage. She and Yerin were equally shy individuals, but Yerin had the upper hand in communication since she was older, and thank God, the younger girl's Korean was on par with her English (maybe even better).

"Mom can't speak Korean, so me and my brother only speak English with her."

"Being bilingual is awesome! And you, wow, you're accentless in both languages." Yerin exclaimed, earning a shy giggle from Sofia. Their conversation was cut short when a boy with a moderately muscly built spoke 'hey,' while drying his dark and wavy locks with a small towel. Sofia was mortified for their guest at the sight of his shirtless brother, and demanded the need for proper clothing. He came back soon afterwards in the living room with a Stitch shirt on, pinching both of his ears comically facing the two girls as he imitated the blue alien that he had loved since childhood. He sat beside his sister who scooted automatically, and mentioned his name was Hansol. Yerin's proximity from him was enough to confirm that he had an amazing set of eyes, which were much lighter than almost everyone that she had seen, and had a personality that was a mixture of oddity and tension-free. She shared the qualities of timidness and attractiveness with his sister, making Yerin wonder how their ethereal exterior clashed with their real personality. 

"Have you invited her to our housewarming party tomorrow night?" Hansol asked his sister, who was leaning on his shoulder.

"Hm? Oh yeah. Yerin, please come! It's just a small get-together with a bunch of mom and dad's friends. I'll be making the punch!"

"And her cookies are the best on this planet. I'm telling you." Hansol reaffirmed Yerin. Great, now she wanted an affectionate brother like Hansol.

"Tomorrow night? I have afternoon classes, so I can't promise to be here on time." Yerin said quite remorsefully.

"No big deal. Notice how this house doesn't have a clock?"

 She glanced around the house that was much livelier that hers. "Yeah..."

 "Mom and dad don't work with time,"  he chuckled. "Or they always forget to buy one at Ikea."

 

The next day, Yerin shared the elevator with Mingyu at eleven in the morning. Her appearance baffled him internally; it was not everyday she had her hair pinned with small, silver clips depicting leaves, an off-shoulder sleeved up to her elbows that accentuated the curves of her upper chest tucked in a wool skirt that reached a little below her knees, and pristine white sneakers.

"So, where are we heading to? A frat party?"

"Obviously not home after school." She retorted back. 

"Ohhh, but that isn't what you wear on your first date. Is it your second time?"

Yerin decided to play along with Mingyu's inquiries, who was actually getting curious of her love life. "Nah, third. We're going to Itaewon later after a movie at eleven."

"You? Partying? I can't imagine, but yeah, go enjoy your life." He managed to choke out.

Yerin giggled, which was somewhat of a huge relief for Mingyu. "Relax, there's a housewarming at the Chois later, right? I'm off early to get them something, but I won't be there on time. Save some punch for me, will you?"

Mingyu nodded, and they head off, only to know that Yerin's purpose of going out early was to go shopping at their artsy neighborhood. She failed to notice his eyes sparked when she said her morning objective and goodbye, because Mingyu was quick on his decisions.

"I'll go with you!" He said cheerily. Yerin narrowed her eyes in mock annoyance, but he only said, "Why? My heart still bleeds of its longing for Sohyun." He clutched his chest and winced dramatically.

"Maybe I should get you a book of poems?" She offered, pointing with her thumb at a bookstore that she frequented to.

"Psh, I'd only draw on it. Why on earth do poets waste so much space with their little words and vast usage of space?"

"I don't get it either, but it has something to do with style? I'm not fond of them." She huffed.

"You can get us coffee. Maybe hang out at the café for a little while? Our neighborhood's quite nocturnal after all." Mingyu's suggestion masked his intentions of initiating a date.

"Oh man, I do want to get a cheesecake right now. I brought coffee though." She replied, but Mingyu was already pulling her to the facade of a cafe. Yerin noticed his constant grip on her wrist, but she did not mind; in fact, his warm hand felt incredible, as if a painter touched the canvas with his brush.

"I'd have an Americano, please." He told Yerin. "You're paying, right?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it. Dessert? Do you think ice cream goes well with latte?"

"Didn't you want cheesecake?" Mingyu quipped, unconsciously weakening his grip on her and subsequently soothing the spot he held with the soft fiddle of his fingers.

"I, u-um," Yerin's concentration was off with his action. "Yeah, I do."

"You do love desserts," he chuckled, pinching her pinky finger adoringly. "I won't stop you. I'm sure you won't finish them though, so I will."

"Try me, Mingyu." Yerin replied, her attention averted from him, but he chuckled again when he saw the devilish grin on her face.

They sat side-by-side at a corner that gave them a full glimpse of their sleepy yet vivid neighborhood. A busker was preparing his equipment, and college students were either casually strolling or speeding up in their tracks while looking at their wristwatches. Mingyu was silenced by her averted attention from him, drinking in the back view of her. Her hair followed her sideward tilting, and her fingers tapped her cheek that rested on it. It was her dominant hand that he previously held, heightening his jealousy toward her pinky finger.

"Hey, you got cherry blossom petals on you head." Mingyu broke of the serene silence, taking off the pink remnants of spring's comeback on top of her head, as well as the ones that got entangled in her hair.

"Oh," she smoothed her crown off. "Thanks."

"Maybe I should make petal hairclips. They look good on you." Mingyu murmured, but Yerin had the auditory ability of a dog, and she blushed before stating her words, a defense mechanism that slipped out of her lips.

"Do you say that to every girl you're with?"

"I've never complemented Minseo in her whole life." He joked, but with her eyebrows raised, she looked serious and contemplative of her next words.

"Look, I bought these clips in the summer. Obviously, cherry blossom hairclips were out of season."

Their orders arrived, dwindling down their chuckles. Yerin placed the cup of green tea gelato in front of Mingyu, whose lips automatically twitched upwards.

He started digging into the cold treat, and after two spoonfuls, he spoke. "I broke up with Sohyun because not only was she a pain having around, she spoke shit about you, and you've only met once."

"I don't mind at all, really." Yerin replied. "She isn't worth my time."

"Shouldn't that be my line?"

"You didn't say that when you broke up? Shame." Yerin pouted, poking his cheek with her fork.

"I barely had any idea of how we ended, Yerin. Honestly." Mingyu slumped his whole being into the couch, sighing quietly. "Anyway, I wasn't really feeling anything when we hit off. She was... more of a burden, I guess?"

"Then you've made a good decision, I suppose." She remarked and faced Mingyu, whose breath hitched when he finally received her full attention the moment they sat together. "I've always thought of things that bring you down should be depleted off your system."

Mingyu straightened his posture, minimizing the space between them. "Good principle. Any examples of application?"

"Well," she trailed off. "I've finally convinced mom that I'd do graphic designing after four years in marketing. I... shouted at her, then I cried. God, I felt like a kid. We didn't talk for a while, but I re-explained the whole thing. I wasn't fit for the suit and tie life, it was never part of my career options since I've wanted to become an astronaut when I was five."

Mingyu laughed softly. "You wanted to become an astronaut? I don't recall you telling me."

"Didn't my glowing stars and obsession with the sun give you an idea? Nevermind, that was an  _embarrassing_  obsession."

The glow of the morning outside, displaced by Yerin's figure, came into Mingyu's realization that  _she_  was his sun, not in a fetish way, but she always brought the warmth to his cheeks, his mornings at the elevator, and more recently, his hand. Mingyu was severly drawn to her company nowadays, maybe even before it hit his consciousness, because she was always there for him, probably because of their close proximity, but he was more thankful for that than anything else.

"I suppose." Mingyu said shortly, clearing his throat in hopes of minimizing the flushing of his cheeks. "Shall we buy the gift?"

Mingyu accompanied Yerin throughout the nooks of Hongdae, stopping once in a while to assess trinkets on full display at the corner of streets, trying out berets and sunglasses at random accessory stores, and eventually returning to the first store, a juxtaposition of antique and avant-garde pieces. She purchased a clock that had caught her eye since then, imagining how it would look splendid on the wall of her new neighbors. 

"It was the first thing that popped into my head when Hansol mentioned it to me. I've always loved how the hands glowed in the dark, especially when I pass by here, since the store's already closed." She said thoughtfully, gripping on the housewarming present's plastic bag tightly as the bus came to a stop, causing the full effect of inertia on her. Mingyu strengthened his stance on the platform of the bus, enabling himself as her post to withstand falling. Lately she had become a lot chattier than before, and it made Mingyu felt like he was someone noteworthy to her caved personality.

He vocally let out his contemplation. "There were a couple of clocks there, but you chose the one that you wanted for yourself." 

"I just thought it looked nice on their wall." She shrugged. "Have you seen their place? It's like a mini museum, and it's so... vibrant." Yerin spoke these words sadly. They say the home is a reflection of who you are, and the quietness and minimalist concept of hers (at least, in Yerin and her mom's apartment) actually hid stacks of sketchbooks spent on doodles and watercolor works on her cramped, but organized room.

Suddenly Mingyu thought of an idea, although it consisted of permissions and excuses that may lead to genuineness and honesty. There was still, however, a room of worries at the back of Mingyu's mind, although the conceptualization and application of this personal mission thrilled him. "What's your favorite color?"

"Hm, black... and pastel? I really can't devote myself to one."

"That's a lot of paint." He murmured, receiving a a questioning look from the smaller girl. Mingyu rested his chin on an arm grasping onto the bus handle, only to be snapped out of his thoughts when Yerin aggressively nudged him to get down of the bus, as he was oblivious of the façade of his university.

 

Mingyu parted his hair.  _Again._  Then disheveled it until it looked perfectly messy.  _Yet again._  That morning he did not have any intention of dressing up for a party that two apartments away, but he has always wanted to make a good impression on visionary individuals. Besides, Yerin looked absolutely stunning earlier; her decision to wear the newly-bought faux leather bracelet that she saw on the streets with him gave her overall appearance an edge to it, and it made Mingyu crack the goofiest smile as he styled his hair for the hundredth time in front of the mirror. Eventually, he opted to part his hair at the angle of the tip of his eyebrow close to his ear, and hand combed it with wax until it resembled bent and tamed grass. He gave his jacket a final tug before heading out to the party, which was already in full swing. Lively conversations drowned the jazz music playing through the bass phonograph, and Mingyu momentarily forgot that the homeowners were artists, if not for their works that had people admiring at in the apartment.

"Punch?" Hansol tapped Mingyu, handing him a cup as he gawked at a mosaic artfully displayed at the kitchen counter top.

"Don't mind if I do." Mingyu was led to the couch completely occupied by the youngsters, his sister included. Minseo was eagerly showing Sofia her digital art on her phone, while the latter attentively discussed her hopes of being a chef someday.

Mingyu was the first to initiate a conversation. "You an artist yourself?"

"Oh no, no." Hansol replied bashfully. "But I do music as a hobby. Been unlucky at tournaments, but I gain experience from it."

Mingyu perked up. Hansol seemed rather aloof, so it came as a surprise that  he was a rapper. "Got any demos?"

"Yeah, but they're up to no good. I'm still polishing this new track that I made. I'd probably get on with it when the people here dwindle down."

"Can't you just do it now?" Mingyu asked, sipping his punch afterwards. The fizz initially hit his tongue and burned his throat pleasingly, and a hint of the tangy taste of lemon, which he actually hated, worked so well with the mixture of the vibrancy of the drink that he was taking. He could probably drink the whole bowl of it if not for the other guests.

"I'd like to work on it... quietly? It's only eight, after all. My brain functions at midnight." Hansol replied, eyeing the empty cup, that Mingyu just finished drinking on. "Allow me." He said, lazily propelling his body off the couch, disappearing behind a crowd. It actually took him quite a moment to do so, so when Mingyu decided that his nitpicking on his sister to please Sofia was boring, he made his way to the kitchen. His height gave him the advantage of easily navigating in the sea of people, and soon enough, he spotted Hansol handling his refilled cup, who seemingly, was deep in a smile-abundant and shoulder-shrugging conversation with someone.

Only that the cup in Hansol's hand was not for Mingyu, it was for her gold hairpin-wearing neighbor.

Yerin immediately caught the eye of her tall friend, who she had to admit, looked exceedingly swell in his denim shirt, topped with an ash gray blazer. Maybe it was his hair? His glorified forehead was in full display, after all.

"You're here, and you didn't even text me." Mingyu butted in between them.

"I got lost, sorry. Hansol gave me punch, and seeing how people consume it so fast, I'm never gonna leave my spot." She exclaimed, beaming a smile at Hansol. "Sofia made this, right? It's like crack cocaine, but as a drink."

Mingyu agreed firmly, eyeing a plate of cookies, and grabbing one from the cluster." I guess you haven't had one of these.  _These_  are crack cocaine."

Hansol led them to the veranda, a minimally-crowded people but vastly lined with pots of flowers that took the spotlight from a series of yellow and translucent lights dangling from the ends of the ceiling, giving off a lazy, romantic glow in the place. Hansol sipped on his flute (he opened a bottle of sparkling apple juice for himself, skillfuly hiding it into the depths of their refrigerator), consuming his drink, and the view, silently. He had lived in Seoul for as long as he can remember, yet this was a different kind of perception for him. It was a good choice, picking out a cozy apartment in the seventeenth floor, as it gave him a bird's eye view of the shops and pavements below that became active each night. The neighborhood was brimming with inspiration, energy, and experiences that he had yet to put into words on his notebook that was already thinning out of paper.

His phone buzzed inside his sweater pocket, disrupting Hansol's thoughts. It was Seungkwan calling, bumbling over a basket of oranges that he picked. "Son duties," he said apologetically. "Though mom would send this to you guys over there in a speed of light! Let's have a sleepover at your place when I get back to Seoul."

"No thanks." Hansol replied in his most serious voice, but a devious smile was forming on his face. Seungkwan was never a proactive person when it came to taunts, after all.

"Then I guess you won't be having these  _lovely_  oranges! I could eat them by myself!" His buddy from Jeju retorted back angrily, cutting off the call.

"Overdramatic." Hansol mumbled as he sheathed his phone back into his pocket. Mingyu and Yerin, who was mildly interrupted with Hansol's comment, thought that he was referring to them (they were fighting over who the better first generation male K-pop group were, and they recited lyrics as their arguments).

"Quick, Hansol: HOT, or Sech Kies?" Mingyu asked abruptly, lightly hitting Yerin on the arm as she mouthed 'HOT!' frantically.

"S-" Before Hansol could even finish his sentence, Mingyu interluded. "Aha! You are officially, a man of good taste." He declared, sneering at Yerin, who was rolling her eyes.

"You're so rude." Yerin remarked at Mingyu, jerking his stomach in the process.

"Seo Taeji?" Hansol said, laughing at their petty bickering.

"Oh no, they're way too old in this category. Besides, you can guess, man. Although Sech Kies were the bomb in the nineties, I'm telling you."

"Well, I did hear 'Candy' as a kid often, and I can remember dancing to it, so I guess, HOT?"

Mingyu pouted in defeat as he handed over five thousand won to a triumphant Yerin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yawawoo I enjoyed writing from Mingyu's new perspective of Yerin tbh!! I asked my dude buds for what they think abut the people they like, and I guess I want to offer this to them? HAUHAHAAHUA those assholes get my cookies in our three-hour classes, though.


	3. Hojin's Audi A3 TDI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hansol learns that forgiveness gives him the blessing of free food, at least, when he's with Yerin.

_Yerin, you did your part. It wasn't your fault._ The scenic view of the Han River failed to help her calm down, and Yerin could only hasten her pace as she tried to maneuver her bike. Coupled with frustration, she slammed the brakes when she almost hit the bench which clearly, indicated that she was out of the biking path already. She prayed that the sole person seating on it was accustomed to moody college students, or barely minded about pissed off individuals who needed fresh air and an aggressive bike ride. To her surprise, it was Hansol with a notebook on his lap, seemingly immersed to whatever was playing in his headphones.

"The handle saved me. Imagine this, I go back to my house, and mom would ask me where I got the bike tracks all over my body, and I point at the direction of you house." He stated and patted the metal curve nearest to her wheel, causing a sheepish laugh from Yerin."I'm not in my best state." She admitted, shrugging her shoulders. Hansol stood up, tucking in his notebook in the inside pocket of his jacket, and went to her side."I didn't excel in science, but I do know desserts have a way with the brain, and they temporarily de-stress you, or something like that." Hansol said, eyeing an the façade of an ice cream parlor far from where they were at.

 

"You're talking about hormones, right? They act as endorphin. It's pretty cool." She quipped, already imagining the heaps of scoops of ice cream in her cup.

The glow of nature's light reflected on his eyes that widened, expressing his newfound fascination in her words. "What were those? Hummus? Hormus?"

 

" _Hormones."_ Yerin corrected. She opted to walk down the path with Hansol. Somehow, the mild sound of her wheels was more therapeutic than them being used to their maximum capacity, but Hansol's company served as the form of relief that she had not experienced before. Amidst the countless sunsets and the perfect breeze that she had witnessed, it was clear that Hansol made her blowing-off-the-steam biking worthwhile and new.

He was also easy to talk to, and he had shared countless ideas, some odd, some new, and some invoked epiphany. He respected her thoughts, and when she talked after the green tea ice cream melted in her mouth, Hansol was all ears, listening tentatively and with his full attention. He was a boy of countless facial expressions, and in her first encounter with him, Yerin thought was _rather odd_ , but the way that his eyebrows were knitted and mouth slightly parted, lightly bobbing his head to her words, made Yerin feel that a block of grief was lifted off of her. Their conversation became deeper by the minutes that passed, and soon enough, Hansol was made aware of something that Yerin kept from Mingyu."So we just... we don't talk anymore." Yerin told him as she stared at the thin puddle of ice cream that she kept om stirring. "I acted like a kid, so I lost two friends in the process.""If it happened a year ago, and an abrupt one at that, maybe they'd want to hang out with you again.""I've thought about it a lot, but I chicken out at every opportunity that I was given. Remember when we were kids, we'd fight for what we think is right, only to realize that we were wrong all along when we grew older? I've hurt them ignorantly, but the important thing is, they have each other.""Well, three makes a crowd, and if you guys were one before, I'm fairly certain that they'd accept you with open arms. It'll only bother you when you prolong your agony." Hansol stated, momentarily gazing at the increasing number of uniformed teenagers and suited men clustering beside the stoplight. He held a rubber band between his two fingers, and Yerin wondered where it came from, but his insight proved to be more important than where he got it. "You guys are one rubber band. It'll hurt, but you'd eventually come back together." He showed no sign of pain as the object snapped on his fingers, doing it numerous times before forming a star with it.Yerin smiled genuinely for the first time that afternoon. Basked with his spontaneous company and wise words, she freed herself from the restraints of her high thoughtfulness, and asked Hansol a favor."Could you accompany me to Seouldae?"Hansol agreed in an instant at her enticement of coffee as a treat for his company.

 

Yerin and Hansol opted to go to a café that overlooked the country's premier university in hopes of catching Hojin and Seyeon after class, receiving a quick replying from the latter at Yerin's proposal. She fidgeted with her phone, and Hansol was quick to notice that, hastily retreating the shop and entering back with a packet of honey string candy. Yerin was gratified at his simple act of gesture, making a mental note that Hansol deserved something worthwhile from her at their future encounters. The sweet treat managed to loosen up her nerves, and when she was halfway through her snack, two individuals caused the only bell ding of the café that mattered to Yerin, and before they knew it, they were making a scene with intense sobbing. Hojin was teary-eyed, but his girlfriend and best friend were writhing into each other's arms, eventually pulling the both of them to an embrace with his long arms.

"Hey, what made you think you can ignore us like that?" Seyeon inquired in between sobs, only receiving a tight hug from Yerin. They finally sat to where Hansol was, and Hojin mouthed 'boyfriend?' at him, fully knowing that his girlfriend would interrogate the foreign-looking boy after Yerin and Seyeon would finish their tearful reunion. When they did, however, Seyeon eyed him cautiously."Stop that! You're dissecting him like a frog in seventh grade Biology." Yerin muttered, tugging Seyeon's arm in the process."Are you... dating?" The English words came out flawlessly in Seyeon's mouth.Hansol replied coolly. "Nah, she's my neighbor.""How long have you been neighbors?""A week? Was it a week already, Yerin?" Hansol asked in Korean."You speak Korean, after all." Seyeon huffed. "So, how close are you guys now?""From a biologist to a prosecutor in a minute! Wow, Seyeonnie. You should really consider dropping out of your Broadcasting course." Yerin sarcastically butted in. If her best friend made Hansol's presence awkward with her, then she would be seriously considering breaking their friendship.Hansol replied with all honesty as he enumerated their activities. "Hm, we met at the Han River earlier, had ice cream, left her bike at her house, took the subway, and now we're here.""Interesting." Hojin wiggled his eyebrows inquisitively. Hansol glanced at Yerin, mouthing the the word 'help' to her."So what happened to Mingyu? Did his family move out?" Seyeon inquired, poking Yerin on different places of her body. There was coyness present in her voice, as Hansol had noticed."Relax, he's still there, growing taller everytime I see him- hey, would you stop that?" Seyeon's poking continued, and eventually, Hojin joined in the teasing session. It ceased when they heard the snap of a camera, and turned their attention to the culprit.

 

"Delete that!" Seyeon commanded, but Hansol just shook his head. To her surprise, Yerin was giggling with him.

 

"That just proves how childish you guys, are. Hansol, you should know how _extremely_ immature my friends are. I wouldn't want to hang out with them if I were you." Yerin explained, pushing the two from her side.

"Well, it's too late to back out now- we're friends again!" Seyeon exclaimed, constricting Yerin into a suffocating and affectionate bear-hug."Aw." Hansol cooed, concreting the moment with his phone camera again.The two arrived at their apartment building without the woes of rush hour commute thanks to Hojin's car (it was economically-fuelled, but Yerin was certain that he picked _that_ over an Audi R8). Hansol was quiet, only speaking when he was asked, but he laughed at the group's silly antics and high school memories. He often casted a wide-eyed gaze behind the car window, and the artificial glow of orange and fluorescent lights that zoomed momentarily casted an ethearal glow in his eyes. Yerin admired the human embodiment of the sunset's afterglow that was Hansol, and for a moment, she wished to be whisked away on the streets with him to prolong their journey to home.Hansol caught her staring at him, mouthing 'what?' at an embarrassed Yerin.Seyeon hugged Hansol warmly when they arrived, thanking him profusely on being the catalyst of the atonement with her best friend, and promised a series of hang outs that would take action in the following days.Hansol was internally overjoyed at Seyeon's proposals. Intimidation prevents him from meeting new people most of the time, and while Seyeon and Hojin showed signs of initial skepticism that he was sick of, their warmth and acceptance made up for it."Seyeon and Hojin are pretty nice." Hansol remarked after pressing the elevator button. Yerin's eyes glimmered as she beamed a smile, humming lightly in approval."We didn't start off easy when we were in fifth grade, but she was the only one that I knew in high school, and we became close ever since. Then she started dating Hojin in our fourth year and entered her dream school. I thought her life was perfect without me." Yerin said, trying to laugh it off, but there was regret that was vaguely noticeable in her voice that Hansol was still able to catch.He nodded attentively, and she continued. "So I just... broke it off. I was so old school back then, I sent her a really long text message, and when she called me if something's wrong, I was silent over the phone as she laughed at my seriousness. I took it as an insult, which further solidified my intention to stay away from her." She was quiet for a minute, and when they arrived at their floor, she spoke solemnly. "I push people away, Hansol. I don't want to but I do."Yerin was already entering the passcode of her house when Hansol, who was leaning on the wall beside her, remarked. "Well, that says a lot about you, then."She chuckled bitterly." That I suck at personal relations?""Okay, _that_ , but still, they come to you. Say, Yerin, how many friendships have you... well, _diluted_?"Yerin eyed Hansol like a deer caught in the headlights.At his proposal, Hansol initiated a series of trips with Yerin in hopes of mending her relationships with different people, but there were times that it did not go as smoothly or cathartic like his first successful case with Seyeon and Hojin. Closure, at least, was the best remedy for the situation. Yerin sounded regretful after she met up with them, and ice cream and other desserts could only temporarily redress the faults that she now had to repent on."I feel bad because you tag along, and you see how horrible I am." She admitted one day at a park surrounded by food trucks. Hansol was desperate for a burrito, and they roamed outside the vicinity of Mingyu's university to look for one."It's purely voluntary," Hansol assured, giving a thumbs up. "Besides, it's like watching a coming of age movie. Yerin, you've graced me with such realism, and I am in deep gratitude for that." He bowed, extending his burrito in front of her face.She shook her head confusingly, completely wide-eyed at her friend. "I don't know what to reply to that.""I should make a movie about you.""I'm fairly certain that no one will watch it.""I will." Hansol replied with utmost sincerity, making Yerin put down her sandwich. She tried to brush it off for the rest of the day, but she is quickly reminded of the glint in Hansol's eyes and the small, upward curve in his lips as he chewed his burrito.It was the start of her dwindling sleepless nights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whatever situation that you guys are in........... I hope that you have your own hansol in your lives? the one who listens to you and gives you advice
> 
> anyway my only complaint here is that the spacing is a bugger sometimes when I copy my work from my evernote. I have to manually do the spacing every time I export the chapter from the app.


	4. Wonwoo's Condominium

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mingyu confesses to Yerin... through his friends. 
> 
> It never occurred to him when Wonwoo would.

Paint, brushes, human labor, _what the fuck._ Mingyu's head was ringing with the sound of an opening cash register. He was at the hardware store, the first on his list, canvassing on materials for his personal project. He blinked twice after the staff member's explanation, showed his most radiant smile, and sheepishly asked. "Does this come with a student's discount?"

"I'm afraid it's a no, sir. But if you buy the whole pastel set, I can give you a twenty percent off."His calculator of a brain was quick to react. _Nevermind_ , it shouted back. He stood in front of the cans of paint, absentmindedly staring at them. He suddenly thought of his human bank account, fishing his phone out of his backpack."Wonwoo." Mingyu said sweetly over the phone. He heard him sigh in response."What do you want? I hope it isn't a gimmick proposal that involves skydiving, or any other death-related activities. I have had enough of cadavers for this semester.""Wah, you're awfully mean." Mingyu replied, and Wonwoo groaned at his childishness. "Hey, I could tell you're already rolling your eyes, man. I have a favor to ask.""Shoot.""Could you pitch in for paint?""What? You're so random." Wonwoo complained."I'll explain the whole thing later at the pub. I still have to call Seok about this. Eight at Attica?" "I don't feel like socializing tonight, bro." Wonwoo groaned over the phone."Well, three's a crowd, right? I'll bring Seok, and you'll buy the booze." Mingyu commanded, and he heard his friend sigh over the phone. Wonwoo rarely initiated a get-together, moreso joining one due to the magnitude of his course, although he realized that he did need a breather, and Mingyu's crazy antics (and an upcoming one at that), was awfully more fascinating than his clinical psychology book that he intended to spend his Thursday night with.

 

"Yeah, sure thing." He ended the call, and proceeded on sleeping over his desk. Two hours later at the grocery near his apartment, Wonwoo received giggles from elementary students with their mothers that he came across with in the store. He bowed meekly as his self-consciousness started to swell. Thankfully, his expert navigation throughout the aisles only cost him ten minutes in stuffing his basket with cans of beer and bags of chips. Mingyu and Seokmin were good cooks, so he made his way to the various aisles that he barely frequented to (the two always remarked how he had a superb kitchen, but he just shrugged off their comments, saying that he cannot cook for his life), and it was when he was about to pay that a kind, middle-aged woman who had the guts to speak out the cause of Wonwoo's embarrassment stood before him as she took out her wet wipes, swabbing it gently on his face.

"You've been studying a lot, haven't you? You're so fair, it's all over your cheeks." She giggled as she told a flabbergasted Wonwoo. She showed the soiled tissue to him, which revealed yellow, pink, and orange marks.Wonwoo dozed off _again_ when he arrived back at his place, making sure that no highlighter, or any writing instrument for that matter, was present on his bed. Exam week just finished, yet his professors decided to give them subsequent quizzes and series of practical exams, resulting to a legitimate excuse that Wonwoo made up."I can sleep like a log, mom. I'm not even in med school yet, so I'm anticipating that this hibernation will go on for a week if I do get in." Wonwoo told his mother in a phone call, trying to sound as flat as possible. He would not admit it, but he was this close to whining about the demands in college, and how he missed her home-cooked meals.

"Honey, I know you're doing well! Your school sent us your grades, and dad, your brother, and I are really proud of you." His mom cooed, plummeting Wonwoo's stress level. His eyes drooped into the emptiness of the pitch-black room, slowly drifting off to his mother's advice and wish of a good sleep for his son.

  
When Wonwoo felt an abrupt weight increasing on him, his first instinct was to get his scalpel from his bedside drawer, and slash the hell out of his intruder.

 

"Wakey wakey, sleeping beauty!" Seokmin's cheerful voice was just as annoying as his action of bouncing up and down on Wonwoo's bed. He mustered the little strength that he had as he tried to push Seokmin away, but instead, _he_ was the one being carried away to his dining area. Mingyu carefully placed a pot of steaming army stew before his eyes that widened in awe, sniffing the glorious scent that his apartment has not experienced in a while.

Seokmin sat beside him, apologetically explaining that they entered without his consent, rummaged through his groceries, arranged them subsequently, and cooked dinner while he was sleeping."Are you kidding, man? I'm too lazy to do my laundry. Thanks." Wonwoo joyfully exclaimed in between chewing as bits of rice splattered on Seokmin's face. "You guys should live here." Suddenly the two intruders exchanged looks devilishly. Wonwoo knew that his friends had been prying to get their hands (or a regular accommodation) to his apartment unit. He admitted that it was a bit _too_ luxurious for his taste, having shared a bunk bed with his little brother from his primary years until finally getting his own room in high school. To his surprise his father presented him a unit of his own located at a prime spot near their university, a building that consisted of utilities that Mingyu and Seokmin took advantage of, such as swimming at the infinity pool upstairs, spending their pennies on arcades of the same floor, and relinquishing their physical burdens through a massage at the twentieth floor's spa."I have a proposition to make." Mingyu declared, putting his chopsticks down and raising his right hand at the level of his chest. Wonwoo and Seokmin tried to controlled their snickers at the sight of Mingyu being serious. "I'd give up my desire to share a room with you assholes at this fine, bachelor's pad, which honestly is an understatement to be called as an _apartment of a college student_ , so screw you and your gold Jeon, but I've had a change of heart, and I hope you gentlemen would hear me out."

"What the fuck." Wonwoo mouthed at Seokmin, who was dying of laughter.

"The thing is! Wait, we still have beer. I'd tell that to you guys after Jeon does the dishes." Mingyu stood up, carrying his used utensils, making his way to the sink.

"Oh, come on!" The seat mates whined, but Seokmin dashed to Mingyu's side swiftly, sulking up to the tallest of the three, in hopes of knowing his 'proposition' before Wonwoo. It took him five minutes to do so, but the two complained at the lack of quality at his assigned chore, prolonging his dish-scrubbing and complaining. When he did finish, Mingyu rewarded him with a cold can fresh from the freezer, and a prawn cracker aimed at his face, courtesy of Seokmin.

"Aw, you used to be good at catching it in high school." Seokmin pouted, eating his edible ammunition."I only catch vegetable crackers, mind you." Wonwoo exclaimed a-matter-of-factly manner. He opened the green bag of chips that he bought for himself (and only for himself), but Mingyu slid his hand automatically in it as he heard it open, nonchalantly munching on them before Wonwoo had the chance to do so."Okay bro, what's the deal?" Wonwoo exclaimed irritatingly, yet Mingyu continued to take his crackers in between of drinking."Yeah Mingyu. Stop stealing the love of his life." Seokmin interjected, opening his second can of beer."No man, I mean, what were you gonna tell us?"

 

Mingyu sighed heavily after taking a long sip from his can. "I'm broke, and I'm starting to like someone."

"Psh, we all know that. You've been leeching off me since I can remember." Wonwoo stated, before his tone changed to a light one. "So who's the lucky girl? Or should I say, the _unfortunate_ one?"

 

"Baek Yerin." Mingyu spoke slowly, and Wonwoo wondered if the alcohol in his system was taking its full effect on him, but he was never the one who joked around in an atmosphere like this, not when he could feel the urgency in his voice at his invitation for a get together with just the three of them. Besides, Mingyu's alcohol tolerance was high, and Wonwoo had never seen his best friend get wasted.

 

Mingyu was still, after all, human with limitations. His gradual drooping perception that focused on the flat screen in Wonwoo's living room failed to catch Wonwoo tightening his grip on his can.

"Hey, you know, my mom told me that I need to find a girlfriend." Wonwoo chuckled."Told you so. I bet you're the next guy that your classmates will dissect in one of your classes." Mingyu faintly took note of the random interjection that was Wonwoo's words."That took you long enough." Wonwoo finally replied regarding Mingyu's confession, diverting his gaze to a sleepy Seokmin."Wait, what?" Mingyu's head was filled with immediate questions, but he still managed to choke out the two words."You guys have been together for a long time, but not really, _together,_ if you know what I mean. _"_   Wonwoo's audacity with words is a trait that Mingyu both admired and despised, for whatever situation they were in, Wonwoo spoke the truth."The thing is, it's risky. What if, we broke up? Things would be awkward in the elevator, the bus, at Hongdae, her mom! Oh man, she praised my veggies _again,_ and I kinda sensed that she wanted me as her son-in-law. I swear man, if arranged marriage was a thing, we've lived in the same unit since we became legal.""Whoa, hold your horses, man." Seokmin spoke up. The side of his face was already flat on the carpet. "You think way beyond already.""Yeah, Seok's right. Besides, you're fairly a sore loser if you've dreamed of hiking Mount Everest but can't confess to one girl. Besides, what's stopping you, other than the fear of breaking up?""She's Yerin, _my neighbor_." Mingyu stated simply. Wonwoo had to refrain himself from slapping his forehead (or punching Mingyu, specifically in the eyes) at his friend's inability of noticing the stolen glances and hidden smiles that Yerin covertly dedicated to Mingyu. Wonwoo was certain that Yerin had a sense of adoration deeper than platonic love for Mingyu, and his failure to recognize such hindered him from his actual unknown advantage."Dude... seriously." Wonwoo deadpanned. Mingyu glanced at him. There was fear beneath his glassy eyes, and Wonwoo's usual quick wit had a difficult time in finding the right juxtaposition of words for him."I know she had a crush on me back then, FYI. Minseo presented me facts, and they were pretty true. Christ, how do girls read people like that?!"Wonwoo shrugged. His lack of experience with the complexity of Mingyu's situation provided him no answers. "You're acting weird, Mingyu. It's not like this is your first time confessing. Besides, she's pretty cool with stuff, I mean, from what I see." He contemplated on his words, careful in each that he said, hoping that nothing would slip off while in a drunken state. "I... only know that much.""Thanks, man. I think I should ask her out sooner or later." Mingyu chuckled at the thought of her, dressed in the outfit that she wore at the Chwe's housewarming party."Yeah, I think you should too. Honestly, I don't see the problem here." Wonwoo reassured."I'm just... scared, that's all. It's too sudden, like it just hit me, but she's been there all along, and I didn't even notice it." Mingyu whispered. His next words, however, masked his uncertainties as he tried to regain his confidence. "But here's the thing, Wonwoo. I'm gonna make her the best mural ever. Something that she'd love. I applied for this one-time modeling thing that Seokmin endorsed to me, and it's enough to buy me the materials for it. I need you guys on this, please."Mingyu's voice was tainted with genuineness and innocence that it made it hard for Wonwoo to decline. He wasn't going to, anyway. "Sure, man. It's funny seeing you this serious."

 

Mingyu threw an empty can on his lap, carrying a dozing Seokmin to the makeshift bed on Wonwoo's sofa. Wonwoo continued eating his chips, knowing that this would come sooner or later, but callousness on such situations was gradual. He never had a concrete mark on Yerin's life (at least, so he thought), yet Mingyu did.

 

It was past two when Mingyu and Wonwoo decided that they would call it a day (even though it technically, was a new one). Wonwoo waited for the dozed off sighs of Mingyu sleeping on his pop-out mattress, turning on the light of his study area. He examined each title displayed in his vast collection, a testimony of his love for reading. His encyclopedias provided much comfort as his classic novels, taking off breaks from overwhelming medical terms through long-stated facts and fictional realms. He was not particular on arranging them in a particular order, although there was a cluster of books chronologically ordered by the moment Yerin borrowed them. It provided Wonwoo the fondest memory of Yerin, of the summer days that he spent in Mingyu's house trading picture books depicting of fables and wild adventures, to their dwindling interactions in winter. He would leave a novel about Confucian principles in Mingyu's place, and she would provide a copy of the first volume of Arthur Doyle's magnum opus. Wonwoo heavily regarded Sherlock as the start for his affinity for mystery novels, and after Mingyu's insistence of knocking at her door by himself, Wonwoo cemented his interest in deep conversations about books, peppering in current life situations regarding their unhappy teenage lives in between, and before he knew it, he was drawn to Yerin, who clearly, did not reciprocate the same sentiments. Yerin always asked Mingyu to join them, to which his friend retorted back that he did not have much interest on books, but Yerin's persistence sometimes did pay off, and whenever she narrated the synopsis to a fascinated Mingyu, her enthusiasm varied differently from her way with him.

 

Nevertheless, he adored her flushed mannerisms and inability to look Mingyu in the eye whenever he joined them. It was much better than seeing her crestfallen expression masked off by an immediate synthetic smile whenever his taller friend closed the door, leaving Wonwoo and Yerin to their afternoon hang out. Their sessions were solemn, slow-paced, and _so domestic_. Yerin loved Nutella sandwhiches with milk and bananas on the side, and she always served them to him. Sometimes they would talk on the stools in the kitchen, randomly whipping up on some food experiment, and tasting the outcome. He would help her clean up afterwards, and they would make their way in the living room with books and DVDs sprawled onto the floor along with Wonwoo's flat body. Yerin never turned on the light, as it hit the eyes of Wonwoo directly. Instead, she opted to draw out the curtains that permitted the entrance of natural light, giving her apartment a lazy orange glow.

He yearned that this would go on longer, but staying at her house until her mother arrived would provide the wrong idea for the elders. Mingyu would invite him at his place next door for dinner, and when Yerin tagged along Wonwoo would be at his happiest because she would momentarily forget the existence of Mingyu and continue her novel insights and inside jokes that she shared solely with him, and Mingyu, out of jealousy, started the taunting that only ceased a few months back whenever he made mention of Yerin to Wonwoo.Wonwoo was agile in grasping Mingyu's thoughts; he knew him like the back of his hand, but he felt stupid for letting Yerin slip out of his grasp. He never held her anyway, and he probably never will. Wonwoo knew that he lost in this unsung battle against Mingyu, who always had the upperhand ever since, but also a part of him blamed himself for never taking a stand.The light flickered off gently when Wonwoo rotated the switch to left, accidentally stepping on Mingyu's leg when he climbed to his own bed. His friend groaned, and Wonwoo snickered under his blanket. He hoped that his drunkenness would heed no effect to his plans of discarding the small section of his library first thing in the morning.Mingyu's hair was slightly disheveled when the elevator door opened to the sight of Yerin coming out of her home. She eyed his shirt that looked tighter around his chest and arms, and as a guess, she asked if he spent the night at Wonwoo's apartment."How is he? And you met up with Seokmin too?"He nodded gradually, eyes still droopy from drinking last night. "His schedule consists of two things only: study and sleep. Heck, he wouldn't even do his laundry without us.""I bet Wonwoo really needs you guys. Wouldn't you want to move in with him?""And have Minseo constantly nag me to take pictures of him sleeping?" Mingyu crossed his arms. "Nope, I don't think so.""Wasn't she willing to pay you for each of Wonwoo's picture?"Mingyu huffed thoughtlessly, his facial expression brightening up. "Yeah, I suppose I'd do that. Wouldn't you miss me when I'm not around?" He said slyly.Yerin's face twisted as a sign of mockery. "Nope." She taunted, deflecting his sleepy smoldering smirk with a sick expression. "I'm heading off. Sleep well, okay?" She spoke with empathy as she waved goodbye, not even bothering to look back at Mingyu when she pressed the elevator button. The doors opened for her after a brief moment, failing to notice that Mingyu stood in his place, waiting for her descending ride, before punching the code of his house. There was a huge grin on his face that never left even after he buried himself under his comforter.Yerin missing out the longing glance of Mingyu before she descended in the elevator was the cause of one person who had her preoccupied."Ready to go?" Hansol's eyes expressed his steadfast anticipation whenever he went somewhere with Yerin. She noticed this consistency during the time they spent together at the pathways that they almost always walked on in the afternoons down to the least known subway stations where they spent hours of finding their ways, only failing to notice how time dwindled in the presence of each other. It elated Yerin how she could easily talk to Hansol about the most trivial of things to the elements of their subconsciousness, and whenever a debate arose, he kept his cool and accepted his shortcomings.Acceptance. Hansol was the epitome, the personified form of the word. He never held her back nor he made her feel inferior. His presence provided Yerin her greatest comfort yet, the feeling of mutual understanding. Perhaps Hansol's mixed ancestry fueled his thoughtful insights and perspectives, as well as his firsthand experience of being one, Yerin had thought. Hansol had the uncanny ability to unlock the walls that she had built for the past years, opening them one by one, reviving the goodness that she thought was gone in her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my summary sounds gay, I know. just a little spoiler, though. there's no same-sex relationship here!! my little knowledge of how relationships work could not justify at how beautiful eros-fueled connections as they are destructive. I go by strengthening the brotherhoods portrayed in this story.


	5. Hansol's Apple Juice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything's falling into place (at least, for Yerin).

"Hey, you know what, I haven't slept peacefully in ages." After chewing her delicious hand-pulled noodles, Yerin explained to Hansol how her previous insomnia had kept her neuroticism intact, although nowadays, it had gradually melted due to her lessening worries. "I'll admit it, it's my fault for the broken relationships that I'm mending right now so, thank you." Her words of gratitude seemed bashful in her opinion, but she hoped that its genuineness can fully reach out to Hansol, who was slurping on his noodles nonchalantly, but paused halfway in his action. He painted a funny scene beside Yerin; his eyes were opened wide as his the half of the noodles' body was in his protruded mouth. She laughed, covering her face with her sweater-covered hands, and Hansol had a questioning look on his face when she did, only fuelling her expression of joy as she fully buried herself in the fingers that hid themselves from the shivering cold that night. Hansol was feeling generous that day, inviting Yerin to an exhibition of a family friend, and taking her out for dinner after a series of snacking at a nearby street food alley.

 

"Goeun really wanted to join us." Yerin nudged Hansol. He did not flinch, and only the casual action of drinking his convenience store-brought apple juice (the server was giving him the evil eye for bringing in an product bought outside store premises, but Hansol never noticed) became his only action for a moment.

"We're taking a break right now." He sighed and pouted as his eyes laxly looked at his empty bowl.

 

"I'm sorry I... just thought she was fun to be with and all."

"Don't worry about it. It's actually pretty cool that you guys seem to get along well."

 

Yerin appreciated Hansol's reverence and cool demeanor toward his former girlfriend. During their encounter at the small museum that hoisted works of Goeun's parents, two surrealist artists, Hansol greeted like they were his own parents. Goeun was a gracious and refined girl nine months younger than she is, and while she was quick to catch the signs of Goeun's admiration for Hansol, she only confirmed that the two had a thing when another good friend of theirs personally curated for Yerin as Goeun borrowed Hansol from her.

"There's a movie by the corner that we frequented to at Apgujeong later. Want to come? Yerin could join us." Goeun's eyes fawned over Hansol's presence, and her words dripped with honey when she asked him. Hansol had never once rejected a movie invitation, although he seemed to dwell his attention on anything but her, defeating the main purpose of his anticipated presence at the exhibition."It's been a long day for me and Yerin." Hansol replied meekly. Goeun blinked twice, too dumbstruck at his stoic words, although maybe a part of her disregarded the fatigue he felt and let her whirled emotions take care of her mentality. "We're heading off after this. By the way, did you dad make this?"Nevertheless, Goeun tried her very best to mask her disdain and expectation of a rekindled romance. "Yes! Do you want to do a tradeoff? I'm still so in love with your mom's work." There was a subliminal meaning behind her words, partly fuelled by Goeun's desire."I'll ask her about it." Hansol replied, and felt his phone vibrating from his pocket. Speak of the devil, it was his a text message from his mom asking his whereabouts. "I'll see you around, okay?" Hansol retreated with Yerin hurriedly, dashing off once they were out of the premises."Are they... heading somehwere?" Curiosity disguising paranoia voiced out Goeun's thoughts when Julius came to her side.Her cunning friend detected her worry instantly. "Heavens, no. Or maybe?" Julius replied with laugh, but Goeun's face was marked with concern. His tone softened, "They're neighbors, and Yerin told me that there's nothing going on between them as I showed her around. I swear, I've detected no sign of puppy love that you guys had."Goeun pursed her lips. Yerin never looked like a threat anyway, but considering that it was their initial meeting, her paradigm might shift at their next interactions. A flash in the memory of Hansol's flaring eyes yet solemn tone sent shivers down her spine, causing any sight and sound to move in a monotonous and sluggish pace in her mind."Besides, you princesses have never experienced commute. The two were obviously trying to catch the last bus." Julius exclaimed, but Goeun's senses were blocked anyway.Julius, a son of a socialite and a company owner, obviously had never once in his life, stepped out of his family car or his own, because Hansol and Yerin had the time of the lives sampling out street food (Hansol pretended as a foreigner, getting free samples in the process), and catching the last hour of a famous noodle restaurant."I'm buying." Yerin declared after the bill was handed out. Hansol was reluctant to put back his wallet in his pocket, although Yerin was adamant about her decision. "Come on, it's the least I can do."

 

"Suit yourself." He shrugged. "Thanks, Yerin. By any chance, do you have a friend from Jeolla? How about Changwon?" He inquired.

Yerin's eyebrow raised questioningly, although by the time she was getting used to Hansol's randomness. "I think I do. Mingyu's buddy Wonwoo is from Changwon. Why?""I was hoping... if you have someone that you've had misunderstandings there?" Hansol said expectantly as he looked at Yerin with hopeful eyes."You're enjoying this too much." She replied flatly, sipping on her milk tea without much enthusiasm, but Hansol was still anticipating her answer. "Believe it or now, Hansol, I'm on good terms with my Jeolla and Changwon friends."When they were already in the elevator heading home, it only occurred to Yerin that Hansol was not only her personal counselor, but his knack for the ergodic fishing out his phone at places they had been to is quite questionable. "Tell you what, when our winter break comes, we can go anywhere we want. I mean, if you want to." _With her._ It was Yerin's boldest move toward anybody else other than Seyeon, but the words came off fluidly, like it was a favor that is already part of the norm in their relationship.

 

"Sweet. Like random Korail trips? I've always wanted that." The digital number in red above the elevator buttons rapidly rose, paralleling Hansol's elation of her invitation.

Yerin looked at Hansol like a plugged wire recently connected to a socket, instantly brimmed with mutual energy. "Yeah, something like that. I've been planning those kinds of trips since high school! My notebook was filled with them. Train costs, accommodations, even budget on ramyeon! I still have it in my drawer, I think. Wanna work on that tomorrow morning?""How about now?" Hansol suggested, but he quickly retracted his words. "I mean, if it's okay with you. We've been out since three.""Not at all." Yerin opened her door for her unexpected guest. Hansol stepped inside, only to retreat back to his former position. "I... can I shower first?"Hansol rang the doorbell ten minutes later at Yerin's house, greeting the moist-haired boy with her equally damp bangs sticking on her forehead. "Uh, hi." Hansol answered back as if it was their initial meeting, minimally and momentarily awed at Yerin's wisp in her blue pajamas. They sat on the wooden floor and discussed over the pages that transcribed her desire of traveling, swiping off macadamia cookie crumbs that she prepared along with a glasses of milk and apple juice (Hansol appreciated the fact that she had grown to acknowledge his favorite drink). Yerin folded several pages, writing updates of the latest prices of expenditures on the right side which Hansol looked into in his laptop, gasping often at the hike of such."Thank God for student discounts." Yerin murmured while rapidly punching in numbers on her phone's calculator. "If Sofia comes with us she'd get a higher discount. I know I still have my middle school ID here somewhere..."

"I don't mind eating ramyeon anywhere though." He shrugged his shoulders, and Yerin swatted his shoulder lightly.

 

"No thanks. Although I _did_ have a ramyeon budget back then." Yerin remarked under her breath, erasing the ramyeon factor and turning it into dust as if it was vermin. "Food tasting is an essential part of traveling, buddy. It's the pride and joy of each province, if I may say so. Remember the noodles we had for dinner? The owner's from Daegu. I've read about the place, and the original restaurant's noodles there are _much_ tastier."

Hansol stared into the oblivion, remembering the scrumptious hand-pulled and chewy creation that he had just two hours ago. It was unimaginable that something that good had an even better version. "Daegu should be our first stop, then." He remarked robotically. When they finished their conceptualization, it was already half past midnight, although time had proven to be nonexistent, and only the depletion of their midnight snacks caused them to end the night.

 

Yerin leaned on the cool, reflective metal of the elevator the next morning. Mingyu was burning with desire that it was his shoulder (or chest. Yerin did not past over 5'5") on which she rested her head instead. When she failed to response at the ding of the elevator, he took measures of his own.

 

Mingyu tugged the sleeve of her cardigan, and Yerin found herself dragged to the bus. He was unusually affectionate that day, gently pushing her cheek on one of his chest, and adjusting a protective arm around her. He shifted in accordance to her irritated expressions and small whines, and when Yerin finally had a calming disposition etched on her face, Mingyu rubbed soothing circles on her arm. "Had a rough night?" He consolingly asked. Yerin could feel his warm breath on top her head, (thank heavens she showered with her scented shampoo) and she wondered if his lips touched it whenever he was at loss of words.

"Hmm, was out the whole day yesterday." She murmured wearily. "It was awesome though. I think I did a lot of things for my future.""You did?" Mingyu was eager to know all about it, although she did had the tendency to close herself off even from a longtime friend like him. It was a good start that Yerin, the closed clam that Mingyu knew the best, was leaning on him, sharing her warmth, and close to dozing off in his half embrace. "That's great. You should tell me sometime about it."

 

"I will, I will." Her promise, repeated twice, sent jolts down in Mingyu's spine. He was near his peak of placing a temporal kiss on her hair, although their platonic relationship prevented him to do so. She craned her neck, and Mingyu's wish _accidentally_ came true. A rush of blood ran into his head, and when the sleepy-eyed girl turned to him, Mingyu's desire suddenly shifted into the prevention of his cheeks or ears into turning red. She adjusted her head, wanting to be closer to his chest, until she can feel his collarbones.

"Still single, I presume?" Yerin taunted, looking at him invertedly. Mingyu placed his hand over her eyes, childishly pouting at her inquisition."Enjoy the single life, Kim Mingyu. It's pretty fun.""Hey, I'm not dating someone all the time." He defended himself, although at the back of his mind, he cannot recall the last time he was single. "I'm just clearing out my mind, that's all.""It must've been pretty traumatic to date... _what'shername_. I hope she treated you well, though." There was genuineness in Yerin's voice, and its tenderness reverberated in Mingyu's ears. Finally she sat straight, because as much as Mingyu's enticing smell and overall presence was luring her to sleep, she was three stops away from her university. Besides, his steady, sentimental grip on her proved to be enough to keep her awake.He only loosened up before completely eradicating himself from her side, lightly reprimanding her for staying up all night before waving a goodbye."You owe me an explanation!" Yerin exclaimed a _bit_ vehemently, earning a glare from a sleeping dark-suited man, who woke up with a jolt.Mingyu held back a laugh. "As do you."

 

_Do you mind if Seyeon and Hojin would join us?_ Yerin texted during his Architectural History class. Mingyu induced himself in scrolling on Instagram, talking with Minghao in his broken Chinese on Kakao, or drawing random landscapes on his notebook. Mingyu was elated by her message, almost sliding down from his seat and earning a stifled snicker from his seatmate. Mingyu's mind reeled in movie scenes of double dates that went well and the _unfortunate_ ones too; it might have been too awkward with just the two of them, but lately Yerin had been more welcoming of him in her comfort zone, a privilege that he had been barred since they were eleven. He always thought that she was a tomboy, sporting a pageboy haircut back then, and dismantling his action figures was their favorite pastimes in the afternoon. Eventually, Yerin discovered the realm of bound, printed pages; sports enticed Mingyu, and for almost a decade, their default words were greetings at the elevator in the morning, brief conversations in the afternoons, and quick eye glances at nights when Yerin joined him and his family.

 

Mingyu wanted to make up for the lost time. Yerin took joy from the simplest of things (café desserts, weird street accessories, and clean-cut grass), to the most complex aspirations that a human can think of (she was deadpan serious that she wanted to live in Mars). He enjoyed seeing the flutter of her eyelashes when she spoke of something she was passionate about, making him want to reach out for her and entwine their bodies together when she mentioned how hard her day was, and tell her everything's going to be all right. He was still holding on to the belief that she still liked him as if it was a small fire that he was desperately trying to fuel with little hints that he could gather, but Mingyu was never the one who backed down on challenges, and he would do everything in his power in order to keep the fire burning.

 

Mingyu made it a point to be earlier than anyone at the location of the diner that Yerin texted. Yerin arrived thirty minutes later with her phone pressed in her ear, unintentionally missing the anticipation present on Mingyu's face. He grew impatient as time went by, receiving questioning glances from Yerin, who barely gave him any attention as she lavished it instead on her caller, who clearly, was a far more interesting person that Mingyu was. He slumped his cheek boringly on his arm, keeping a nonchalant yet focused eye on her, and when she ended the call, Mingyu averted his attention from her.

"You okay?" She asked with concern. Yerin rested the back of her hand on his exposed forehead, and Mingyu topped it with his. He was stationery for a while before staring into his reflection from the window beside him. Her displaced sympathy disappointed him, although he was not entitled for such mystery that he desperately wanted to unravel immediately.Yerin gently shook his arm, but after Mingyu turned to her again, he just continued to stare at her. He mirrored his stance, thinking that they might have had looked like two schoolchildren pretending as college students, and she inquired again. "Is this a staring contest?"His eyes never left hers when her attention turned to his slowly, curving mouth. "Yup." He mouthed the one-syllable affirmation. She rolled her eyes at his childishness, and proceeded to sit straight. Mingyu grabbed a pen from his backpack, hoping that it would mask his inquisitions with innocence."So, who were you talking to earlier?" There was an absence of his playful and taunting tone that usually came with such related questions, although he was sketching on the paper mat before him, focusing on the details that this hand supervised, and the ink that it complied to.Yerin spoke without much awareness of where this was going through. "I met up with Hansol and his friend earlier." She failed to notice Mingyu's tightened grip on his pen."So, are you..."But she was quick to deny. "Heck no. You're the third person today who has asked me about it."Mingyu faked a relieved sigh. "What do you guys do together?"

 

"We just hang out, I guess. He invites me to exhibits and I tag along. Wait, do you think I like him?"

Mingyu nodded his head slowly, quite confused at himself as well. Maybe he did panic and jumped into conclusions swiftly. To his surprise Yerin scooped him to an embrace, and he wiggled his arms from her grasp to close their bodies together with his."You're concerned, aren't you? That's pretty nice of you." She murmured beneath their close proximity. "Also, Seyeon rang me. She said she'd be on night duty, so they can't come. I guess, this is a date, then?"Mingyu froze on his seat when Yerin stood up and was ready to leave the premises. He tugged her cardigan for the second time that day, his eyes were filled with dread. "I already ate a cup of breadsticks here."

So their 'date' ended up at his home at eight 'o clock feasting on the scallion pancakes that he made, along with the kimchi that his mother recently took from the rooftop. Mingyu's dad was the only one left in the living room when they arrived, dozing off momentarily on his recliner when his son and his young neighbor entered the house. His weariness got a hold of him, failing to hear the thud of the book that his weak grasp held on to. It caught the attention of Yerin who was having a light conversation with Mingyu, and she immediately placed it on a nearby table. Mister Kim slowly roused from his nap, and the blurry sight of Yerin's action was the first thing he saw. 

 

"That's a good book, if I may say." He remarked, stretching and yawning simultaneously. 

 

Yerin's fingers lightly skidded on the glossy paperback. "It does seem intriguing. I haven't read a novel in years, sir. Although if you'd consider marketing trends handouts as one, I've been immersed in such for months already." Yerin joked, causing Mingyu's father to chuckle. Yerin sat beside him on the sofa adjacent to his own spot, and Mingyu followed suit. He was scrolling through his phone, not understanding a thing about his dad and Yerin's discussion, but when he was stealing glances at the two of them, the sight was lulling, and he wished that ever so often, it would happen. Yerin was easing off his father's fatigue as she lightly inclined on him whenever she expressed great joy, and the temptation to wrap an arm around her shoulders was on its peak, although his father might notice. 

 

When it was time to go, Mister Kim escorted Yerin out of his house. Mingyu was still waving his goodbye when his father patted him on the back and remarked, "Your mother and I would greatly appreciate it if you'd bring Yerin home."

 

"But I just did-" Mingyu nonchalantly replied, but in a nanosecond, he was dumbfounded at his father's request. He did have a penchant for telling jokes, he'd take that, since his father retreated to his quarters mildly chuckling. In Mingyu's case, he had an affinity for challenges.

 

He was also a filial son after all. 

 

Mingyu's agility on such statement was momentarily slowed down as his contemplations got a hold of him, although after a shower, he showed up at her front door in his pajamas as restlessness enveloped him before Yerin's much-awaited presence greeted him. 

 

"Yerin, I was hoping... actually, that we'd go out tomorrow after your class at four?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To the (presumably) small faction of people who read or come across this... your patriotism for this work is highly appreciated! I really wanna know if this is read by people, though I know myself that I update sluggishly. However I do want to make this my first completed chaptered fic, so I'll be posting whenever. My last year at uni's preventing me to work on this as well, though if you guys do comment on this, I might speed up on my writing through your motivation!
> 
> Also, I failed the qualifying examination for the school publication so I can purposely focus on this more. lmao


	6. Mingyu's Blazer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old love dies, one resurrects, and another grows.

It was beyond Mingyu's expectations, but he never imagined that he would spend a part of his first paycheck on overpriced tteokbokki at a restaurant. He was not used to the vacancy of the seats in front of him, and with every bite of his chewy rice cakes, he was closer in getting out of the place. Maybe it was the spotlight effect, although he was consciously keen of the seemingly judging people surrounding him, observing his every move. 

 

The thought depleted in his memory when a sharp reminder of indigestion arrived in his consciousness. Mingyu just _cannot_ go to another restaurant with Yerin tonight with an upset stomach and a request to prick his finger, so he slowed down on his snack and glanced at his side, watching people come and go. Two individuals, however, were having the most intense staring contest Mingyu had ever seen, and when he was about to turn away, he noticed who one of them was. The remarkable features of his face was adequate enough to keep heads turning. 

 

It was Hansol. Mingyu observed the mannerisms and the muted conversation from his seat. The girl clung a weak arm on Hansol's, but he sighed and retracted from it. As Hansol's eyes furrowed and his steady head focusing only on his female companion, Mingyu was seeing a new side of his neighbor. 

 

Mingyu saw the clenching of her jaw. Her eyes watered immediately, and Hansol stood on his spot, his head drooping down to direct his focus on his black sneakers. The girl left without saying another word, the resistance of her tears falling down showed indication of her solidified pain that she desperately veiled with hope was completely hammered down that day. Hansol stood stationery, his eyes blankly following those who passed by. Mingyu realized that he had finished his meal a while ago, and he sent a mental apology to Hansol and his supposedly, former girlfriend, for turning them as his own soap opera drama. 

 

He faintly tapped Hansol by the arm, encouraging him to get a piece from his churros pack. "I saw the whole thing," he pointed at the table from the restaurant that he ate at. "You okay, buddy?" 

 

"These churros are good." Hansol looked at Mingyu with empathy. Maybe it was not the best time to ask him about his breakup. 

 

Mingyu was heading home anyway, so he invited Hansol to take the bus with him. He could not fathom how Yerin spent most of her days with her, but he did understood her preference for silence. There might had been turbulent thoughts inside her head, and Hansol, at that moment was showing such cause. 

 

"Do you... want to talk to Yerin about it?" Mingyu suggested. Hansol gradually averted his attention from the motion of life beyond the glass window of the bus, and his natural gleaming eyes, tainted with wonder, indicated confusion. Mingyu wondered about Hansol's reaction as well, but when they arrived at their apartments, he dialed her number once Hansol was out of his sight.

 

"Waddup?" Yerin greeted, and Mingyu could hear her molars crushing crackers. He held back the urge to giggle. 

 

"Hansol's had a rough day. Can you help him?" He heard her gulping on the other line. "I mean, after you finish your meal."

 

"What happened to him? The thing is, Gyu, he's very laidback. Just let him be for a while. I'm sure that you guys need personal space once in a while." She reasoned out, although Mingyu could hear her whispering a question at someone, and he was even able to catch the name of Yerin's probable companion. 

 

"You're with Wonwoo? How's he doing?" Mingyu tried his very best to sound civil, although he remembered his proclamation at his best friend's apartment last time, and he swore he would strangle the life out of Wonwoo if he said something about it to Yerin. 

 

"Well, he did his laundry, aced his anatomy exam, and is enjoying his sandwich with me here at Subway. Gyu, he gave me free chips!" Yerin exclaimed happily. It was not a doubt that the two were best friends, since both Mingyu and Wonwoo beamed a smile at the same time at different locations. "Anyway, what do you know about Hansol's situation?" 

 

"He broke up with his girlfriend, I saw the whole thing. Maybe he'd want to talk to you about it."

 

Yerin's eyes drooped at hearing Mingyu's news, breathing deeply and catching Wonwoo's attention. 

 

Wonwoo quietly said his one-word need of assurance, although the depth of his voice failed any intention of a whisper. When Mingyu ended the call Yerin briefed him of the situation pensively. Wonwoo was puzzled at her manner.

 

"Is their breakup bothering you?" He was surprised when she saw a small, upward curve on Yerin's lips. "You want them to break up?" Wonwoo taunted, raising his thick yet well-defined eyebrows. 

 

"No, it's not about that. It's cool, can you read minds?"

 

Wonwoo's deep voice resonated in Yerin's ears, and she noticed how the corners of his mouth curved accordingly to his wide grin, as well as how his eyes form into symmetrical thick slits when he laughed. Yerin made herself believe that their reduced meetings resulted into a more meticulous observation of Wonwoo's growth. His humor was still a hit, and he had become wiser. To top it all, his cheekbones and tall stature had changed drastically, and in the depths of her mind, a thought sprouted that Jeon Wonwoo, her fellow Nutella and banana sandwich enthusiast, had become rather charming. 

 

"Nah. You just look like you do." He reasoned out. "There's a fine line between human behavior and tarot card reading, sans the cards, in our case." He crossed his arms as he casually slumped his back on the metal chair that enveloped the coldness of the blasting air conditioner in the establishment, and while Wonwoo hoped that it was not bothering Yerin at all, her arms overlapping and her shivering proved to be one of his fears that moment. He grabbed the paper bags, carefully balancing all three at once on his lanky arms, and got out of the store with her. It paid off, and Wonwoo was just as internally burning with joy at the sight of Yerin's intake of the heat outside. Wonwoo felt the brush of her fingertips on the hand that supported the weight of what he was carrying, and too dazed to figure out what was going on, Yerin was actually got hold of one of them. 

 

"Your place is nearby, right?" Yerin inquired as she hugged his groceries. "I wonder how you often struggle with these. I could imagine you dropping your tomatoes off the road, and when you do pick them, they get stepped on."

 

Wonwoo quietly laughed because it was a possibility, if he were Mingyu." If tomatoes automatically turn into ketchup when I eat hotdogs for breakfast, then that would've happened."

 

"We should sign up for Mingyu's cooking class. My mom volunteered me to be his first student." Yerin said with a bored tone. "It'll be fun if you come. Just like old times." Her voice sounded hopeful, Wonwoo was quick to notice that, and an unusual, warm feeling crept all over his chest. 

 

When he showed Yerin his place, she nodded quietly in approval before turning to him. "I can see why Mingyu and Seokmin would want to move here, although I'd appreciate it if I had peace all to myself." She said, and Wonwoo could not agree more. 

 

"Want me to show you around?" Wonwoo suggested. "It's not much, though. Just the bathroom, the living room, and the balcony. My room's a mess, so it's off limits."

 

Her books were still inside his bookshelves.

 

 

Time dwindled between them, especially since Yerin's amusement of the city view from Wonwoo's balcony gave her a glimpse of the afternoon sun, already weak in radiance, though it still held its dominance in casting light rays on the skyscrapers and citizens of Seoul. Wonwoo was happily giving small sustenance to his potted plants with his drinking water, and while Yerin wondered his ability to keep his group of young flora alive amidst his lack of self-care, she appreciated his effort in doing so.

 

"Mingyu and I are hanging out later. He didn't tell me where, nor did he give me details about it. He just said that he'd be driving, which is a first. Do you want to come?"

 

Wonwoo's mind was in a state of depletion upon hearing her words. Theories differ dramatically when applied, after all. He knew he prepped up for this, although he could not fathom the surge of emotions that whirled inside his system. Though wait, what was that? _'Do you want to come?'_  Yerin had been slightly different from what she was before, not that Wonwoo hated it. In fact she became much warmer, more open, and more free than he seclusive self in their teenage years. Wonwoo enjoyed basking over her company, even though it was their initial meeting after a while. 

 

Wonwoo wanted to spend every minute with Yerin until that day ended, but before he responded with an enthusiastic 'Yeah, I'd like to crash your first date with Mingyu!' He spoke calmly, masking any of his intentions with a pardon and self-confidence. "Nah, but thanks. I'd like to give you an idea about your first date with Mingyu. He may be a dumbass sometimes but he's friends with me for a long time, and that's saying something." 

 

"No, no. You've misunderstood. We're not going on a date." Yerin assured, although Wonwoo looked at her without a change in expression. "Oh, we are?" 

 

Wonwoo diminished the gap between them as confusion sprawled evidently on Yerin's face. "If I were him, I wouldn't want to take you to a billion stations and cut the date until ten just so we could catch the last train. Come on, go. He's probably eager to take you out." He led her to the door, carrying his heavy footsteps with the power that he could muster, but before Yerin could put on her shoes, she asked without the intention of Wonwoo hearing it, although the words were ultimately voiced out. 

 

"What should I wear?" Wonwoo thought of all the clothes that Yerin should be adorned with, although he tried to desperately brush off the white gowns that he saw when his mother took him and his brother to a tailor for a wedding that they attended last winter break. 

 

Yerin had a printed tee and a periwinkle cardigan to cover her arms, and a pair of pants and flats to go with it. Comfortable, but Mingyu always dressed like he was made for his first job that Seokmin helped him with.

 

"He won't take you out to some fancy restaurant. He's cheap like that. And you look... well, decent enough." He placed his hand on the back of his neck awkwardly, rubbing it to relieve himself of embarrassment. It was a wise choice of words that showed only flattery instead of a flowery compliment (Although, or course, he wanted to.)

 

"Thank you." She smiled bashfully under the light of Wonwoo's apartment's entrance. The elevation from where he stood, coupled with his towering height made her look up to him. "If this is a date, as you've said, I'd still want you to come." 

 

"Hm? Why so?" He held Yerin by the arm as she tried to put on her shoes without bending down, and they both giggled at her little struggle with it. 

 

She shrugged, and she bit her lip. For once Wonwoo cannot decipher what her actions meant, but Yerin asked for a favor before she left his apartment. "Can I tell you about it how it'll go?" 

 

Wonwoo was taken aback at her request, but nevertheless, he was pleased. "I'm all ears."

 

"Great. When aren't you busy? There's this bookstore I want to take you. I think you'd like it. Well, see you, Wonwoo. I had a nice time with you."

 

There was an absence of words in Wonwoo's part, and he was as surprised as Yerin was when he patted her shoulder before her shrinking presence was completely depleted from his sight. 

 

 

Yerin had to knock three times for Hansol to open his bedroom door. She raised an eyebrow at him due to his lack of hearing (and a shirt), but it all made sense when she noticed the headphones the clung on his neck. 

 

"Just a moment. Why don't you wait at the veranda?" 

 

"Please get me apple juice, while you're at it." Yerin requested, and the relief of seeing him smile made her held on the hope that their conversation was not as frenzied as her frantic neighbor Mingyu. 

 

"To tell you honestly, there's nothing much to talk about." Hansol said in assurance, although he refused to look into Yerin's eyes as he knew that a full conviction in his words was absent. 

 

"If that's the case, then I believe that there isn't really any urgent matter here? Mingyu maybe a little panicky sometimes, but I've dealt with it my whole life. But Hansol..." Yerin nudged his knuckles, cold from their interaction with his bottled apple juice, in order to look at him. "If you'd had a difficult time with Goeun, and you decided to call it quits, then it's fine. I won't blame you for that. You'd miss her, probably. She would too. I hope you guys would still be friends after this." 

 

"Uh, thanks. About this whole consolidating thing. Tell Mingyu too. I'd appreciate that." Hansol mildly grinned, offering two of his favorite cookies to Yerin. "Maybe we could drink sometime? Mingyu's raving about what I do, and it's actually very flattering. I'd like to have you guys here. And enjoy your date with him, he's a really nice fella."

 

"Christ, so it is a date." Yerin murmured spitefully. 

 

 

Unlike Hansol, Mingyu welcomed Yerin to his home just after her first doorbell. His eyes clamored at a cookie that she handed to him, and Yerin gave in to the urge of patting his combed bangs as he consumed his reward in three bites. 

 

"Hansol said thanks. And he's kinda all right, for now." Yerin said, and Mingyu even bent so that she could continue her affectionate manner toward him. The creases in his eyes stayed a little longer, and his breathing became calmer. 

 

"It's gonna be chilly outside." Mingyu declared, draping his most adored jacket to the person that paralleled his affection for it. 

 

Yerin inserted her arms on the loose and long holes of Mingyu's jacket. Swaying slowly, she asked, "How about you then? I forgot to bring my hand sanitizer, so don't come asking for it after you sneeze."

 

Mingyu whimpered in defense as he was slipping on a striped hoodie. Grabbing his dad's car keys, he nudged Yerin to the exit." Ugh, just go."

 

"So, neighbor. Where are you taking me?" Yerin was brimming with excitement, honestly. After two decades of living, a guy finally asked her out! She had all the time to read those teen stories on Pann (which she initially thought was lame) and take notes about dating. 

 

Mingyu refused to say anything that would spoil the event, clamming his mouth shut in the process. When he and Yerin paused in their conversations, he could not help but notice the noiseless tapping of her feet ever since she got in the car. Her car seat was much closer to the dashboard, unlike Mingyu's, whose legs found comfort difficult if he was on her seat instead. He laughed to himself, and Yerin seemed to take notice of that. 

 

"I hope it's not one of your tasteless jokes, because Wonwoo's are still fresh from the oven."  Yerin raised an eyebrows as she turned her full attention to Mingyu, whose state of relaxation reflected on his grip on the steering wheel and the gear stick. He would stifle laughter once in a while, earning weird stares from Yerin.

 

He looked rather hopeful when he pleaded for her hand before she exited his father's inactive vehicle. Yerin realized she looked ridiculous in his blazer, thereby pulling it off and covering Mingyu with it. She smoothed and tugged the lapel for him, earning bewildered but affectionate expression from him. 

 

"Okay, so why were you laughing? It's not about me, right?" She tucked an arm over Mingyu's, and this subtle act affected him profoundly, although Mingyu tried his very best to refrain himself from doing humiliating activities that were happiness-induced. 

 

"I was just thinking how you weren't having a hard time on your car seat earlier. I had to adjust mine every time Dad uses it before I do." For that, he earned a smack right on his stomach. 

 

Yerin's eyes flared like the street lamps that illuminated the busy, lively streets of Itaewon. The drunk carols and enthusiastic sports fans gave the opportunity for Yerin to speak a little louder, although she momentarily forgot the purpose of courtesy at Mingyu's offense over her height. "Pardon me, but it's not everyday that I wake up to growing an inch! Also, dude, don't take off one of our perks! You see, I was reiterating the good side of being short one day in the bus, and I noticed that this guy- he's good enough to be a tree, had difficulty in stretching his legs while I didn't have a hard time with mine. Wait, am I making sense to you?" 

 

"Nah, I can't hear you from up here." Mingyu teased, receiving a strong grip of irritation from Yerin. 

 

"How is it from there?" She eventually tapped his arm rhythmically. 

 

Mingyu cackled gently. "The air's good, honestly. It's better up there, though." He referenced a balcony that was lit by hanging lamps. The setting from their perspective was a a bit off- who would camp in the middle of the city? Yet Itaewon is known for this, and for that reason is why a diversity of cultures crowd the location every night. To Yerin, Itaewon is a place of affluence. The heterogeneous languages ranging from chatters to hollers as she passed by the streets reminded her with that. 

 

Mingyu had heard about this place when his boss treated him coffee during his first shoot. It was unlikely that a newbie like him would get to sit across a veteran like her, although she had a keen eye for potentials like Mingyu, who, equipped with good-natured humor, was a total hit upon their first meeting. 

 

"Whoa, Gyu. How much did you pay for this?" Yerin asked, her face struck with awe as Mingyu draped a parka on her. He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head ambiguously. 

 

"First date 101, Yerin. You don't ask about costs, all right? Don't fret, I won't split the bill with you." He reassured, although Yerin glanced at him warily. "I got my first job, bud. The date's on me."

 

"I see." She replied awkwardly, yet the dead air between them was nonexistent as Mingyu kept bringing up topics that gradually jumped to another. He talked about the most random and silliest things he was doing in college, and Yerin was enraptured at how Mingyu saw beauty in mundanity amidst his love for the unordinary. Yerin derived the memories of Mingyu's growth from living a door away from him, and she had come into a conclusion that his future was far from the bleakness of her present. He was untainted and brimming with potential, and Yerin only aspired the preservation of Mingyu's ongoing circumstance. 

 

Mingyu's dating experience made him knowledgeable with the verandas and café shops that Yerin dared not to go without someone, at least, if she got asked out to. The view was breathtaking for Yerin's part, as her infatuation with illumination, may it be natural or artificial had grown unknowingly. Initially she thought it was stupid to go camping in the middle of the city, but with barely anyone around them, Mingyu, never the one without a plan that was subjected to failure, spent a quaint and romantic evening with Yerin. It was actually a head scratcher for Mingyu's part, but he had not seen or heard the vulnerability of Yerin while they drank cider (as the designated driver, Mingyu held back the urge to buy two cans of beer, but what Yerin just really wanted was soda, much to his relief).  Without much difficulty, Yerin looked into the accumulated curiosity that she had reserved for Mingyu, surprising herself (and Mingyu) at the loss of complication for words to put up.

 

"You're really rare, aren't you? You... take care of me like it's an obligation and..." A sudden burp disintegrated the empathetic confession and was suddenly replaced by a fit of laughter. When the reverberation of their happiness had died down Mingyu leaned, his weight lightly resting on Yerin's arm. "You were saying?" He asked, in hopes that it would make his confession a little easier if Yerin took care of the initial stages.

 

"...well, I'm truly grateful. I never really had a dad, or a brother. Sometimes, a mom. You're a three in one." She offered him a handshake, but Mingyu wanted to reciprocate the gesture with his hand behind her neck, their lips connected together. Mingyu had held her hand a number of times, but after losing its grip on the delicateness of it he felt somewhat empty, and an unknown danger twisted in the pit of his stomach. 

 

The drive home was rather quiet since Yerin's drowsiness kicked in midway into their trip. When the red light became static, Mingyu's fingers twiddled with her warm ones, cartographing on what he wanted to know wholeheartedly. 

 

The engine relinquished momentum at his proposal, and so did his body when he felt a rougher surface taking captive of his hand, its warmth jolting deep into his system at lightning speed. 

 

Yerin rubbed her eyes with her free hand, the other one receiving his attention after her vision had cleared. He chuckled when he opened the car door for her, mirroring his earlier acts in his place. "How long was I asleep?" She asked drowsily, and Mingyu shrugged. 

 

"Probably the whole trip going home. I might have as well carried you to home, but it might give our neighbors an idea." He draped an arm over her shoulders after removing any evidence of her sleep by smoothing her hair and his wrinkly blazer on her.

 

"They'd probably won't give an ounce of care if you murder me in my house." She rolled her eyes when she pressed the elevator button taking them up. "C'mon, I was taller than you when we were kids."

 

"And why on earth will I kill you? Who'd make me coffee in the morning?" Mingyu reasoned out, clasping his arms until his hands rested on her waist. Yerin looked at their reflection, noticing how Mingyu had his cheek on the top of her head, his eyes closed. They stood stationery like that for a while, considering that they got into the old elevator that has yet to be replaced by a newer model. 

 

"Hey," Yerin nudged him on his hair, patting the dark course that proved to be a bit difficult to reach. "You've had a long day. I really think you should've not taken me out, but thanks anyway." Mingyu looked awake but her words took a while in his mind to process.

 

"No regrets, at all. I hope you'd change your mind on how you think our first date fared." They rested their backs on what barred them from her home, with Yerin recounting their last conversation before Mingyu decided to doze off with her hair as his pillow. 

 

"Well, other than us sleeping for quite a number of times, it was cool. I'm sorry if I slept in on you in the car, but yeah, stop tickling my fingers." She sent a mocking glare at a laughing Mingyu, who, in a minimal turn, faced her with the ghost of any signage of merriment moments ago. He let out a sigh, forgetting the address of his hands in avoidance of any contact with Yerin, other than his lips on her cheek. Mingyu's left hand does not comply with his command, making its way on the side of her neck when he placed another kiss on her brow, a little longer this time, his eyelashes meeting the forehead that he used to tease for housing hormone-induced puberty changes. "Is this okay?" His lips left its newfound comfort zone, making its way inches away from Yerin's ear. Mingyu's voice was deep and slightly breathy, although the disclosed tinge of concern encompassed them. Yerin was still overwhelmed with his actions; alien as they were she felt the constant urge to plunge into the depth of the unknown that lied beneath the exterior of Mingyu. Staying still except for her quiet breathing, she was surprisingly calm amidst Mingyu's physical show of affection, eventually giggling beneath him. 

 

"You took the first offense." Yerin answered, patting Mingyu's chest in mocked irritation. "Goodnight, Gyu. If you want coffee tomorrow morning, just ring the doorbell." 

 

"Aye, aye!" He replied rather enthusiastically along with a salute. His gradual walk reflected the way his ears showed a pink tint, and the small, upward curve that never left his face as he bid the greeting of slumber to Yerin. 

 

Like a balloon that was about to burst, Mingyu popped into his bed, tossing and turning at his will, at the thought of seeing the last person that he was with as the first one next morning. The soft buzz of his AC became his background music, although Yerin's glances and random humming reeled into his mind, lulling him to sleep.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feels good to post this one! in all honesty this has been my most constructed chapter yet because your girl..... hasn't been on a date before LMAO so I have to siphon... information about one from my friends. 
> 
> jsyk it KILLS me every time I see mingyu in a blazer, and now that it's part of his staple outfit........... yes, I'm dead in a ditch.


	7. Yerin's Phone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yerin meets the newest addition to the Kim family, and Seungkwan accidentally calls a flower enthusiast.

 

Splashing Mingyu with newly-brewed hot coffee would surely be a sight to see, but standing at the foot of his door with a tumbler on her hand, Yerin found the idea too ridiculous, bizarre, and what the hell was she thinking? The area above her hips started grinding internally, almost as if her insides were ground pulp. The pain was unimaginable, and she partially blamed the yoga videos that she missed out last week due to an exam that entailed her to a two-hour sleep daily. 

 

It was Yerin's time of the month, and it fueled her emotions terribly. She succumbed to the loss of control over them, as well as the people around her, although she had to bail Mingyu out on this one. Sleep was second nature to Yerin, and she valued such that not even the dashing boy who took her out last night was an exception. With Mingyu in mind, her knuckles tapped fervently on his bedroom door, but to her annoyance there was no response. She contemplated whether she should turn the knob or not, although at the moment when she peeked inside his room, wallpapered with a hue of copper that seemed to resemble the color that embedded his skin, years after years of active playing in the field, pool, and the grassy fields at his grandmother's place, he lied on the elevated mattress that was adjacent in the middle of the space, limbs sprawled into the fine mess of Egyptian cotton that promised comfort to its occupant. He was sighing silently in his seemingly deep slumber, and just as Yerin was about to retreat, a ball of fur jumped behind Mingyu, stepping on him in the process, and raced to where the light from the living room seeped to his room.

 

Mingyu bolted from his bed, cupping his puppy on his arms, and letting Yerin in. He could see how nervous she was upon the sight of the four-legged creature that he cradled, and its constant moving did not seem to help, either.

 

He raked the fur of his dog, whispering instructions behind its ear. "Hey, say hi!" He carefully extended it to Yerin, and it reveled on another human's affection when it was patted on the head with a hand that glided on a corner of its mouth.

 

"Is it yours?" Yerin asked. Mingyu nodded as he bounced it lightly on his arms.

 

"I adopted this fur ball from a shelter a week ago. Can you believe it? A lot of assholes are out there buying them when they can't even take care of them in the process." 

  

"Remember that trend of having dogs back then? Oh man, it's ridiculous. Who on earth came up with the thought that getting a living, breathing creature is a fad? Seyeon's vet buddy told me they had a difficult time dealing with those kind of people." Yerin always thought of having a pet to keep her company at home, but her low-maintenance attribute was not hearing it. Mingyu would make a great dog dad, seeing how he kept his belongings in an orderly fashion, as well as his fondness to everyone that he was close with, going overboard with his hugs, clutches, and gooey signs of affection. 

 

"Do you really squish your sister every morning? She was ranting about it earlier." Yerin might as well be Minseo's unofficial mom, because her adoration for the girl delighted Mingyu, sometimes even feeling quite envious of his younger sister. Yerin was whirling away on his computer chair, and Mingyu could not care less on the marks that scratched his floor. When the light nausea occupied her she halted, and she rested her legs on the foot of the bed where she almost met with Mingyu's much longer ones. 

 

"Yeah, but if you want, you could replace her." Mingyu replied absentmindedly. His puppy were taking its baby steps on his chest, slipping every now and then, causing the roar of chuckles from its owner.

 

"Excuse me? Is this what you intend to do at the camping trip?" Yerin sharply retorted back, and the higher pitch in her voice made Mingyu crane up his neck from the series of pillows which his head rested on.

 

"I only have one sleeping bag, so..."

 

"What do you expect me to sleep on? A bush?"

 

He shrugged as if talking about future sleep arrangements with Yerin is the most casual thing ever. "I'm told that I make the best recliner and heater."

 

"Whoever said it was certainly not your sister." 

 

"But you'd agree with it, right?" Mingyu finally sat up, releasing his dog to roam around his space. The refinery of his biceps stood out as he clutched on a pillow. "Your hair smells good, by the way. Is it lavender?"

 

"Oh my god, that's it. I'm totally ditching you in the forest." Yerin cupped her forehead in mixed frustration and embarrassment. Turns out, shampooing with scents was not a good idea. 

 

"Wait! Yikes, no. I could make you a bed out of twigs or whatever. Just go with me, please? I've planned the whole thing out." Mingyu's begging had fueled Yerin's speculations, and before she knew it, the words had spilled out.

 

"Mingyu, tell me. What's going on here? It's so untypical of you... to do this." Yerin shocked herself with the clarity and calmness of her voice, although she did not have the heart to look at Mingyu straight in the eye for answers. 

 

"Just something that I thought you'd enjoy. Your tent- it stayed with me for a while. It'd be best for you to use it before I give it back to you." It was not an expected reply, Yerin thought. Suddenly she felt that the room become a little warmer, although she was uncertain if it was because of the radiant and hopeful upward curve that Mingyu had on his face, or his puppy that found her toes as a new body heater.

 

"But if you want the whole, honest truth... well, you have to wait at camp." Mingyu waited to see her reaction shift from something soft to Yerin cocking an eyebrow at her statement. Mingyu smirked; seeing her at this state was actually a sight to behold. Her defense mechanism always contradicted with her words, but not today.

 

"If it's what I think it is, don't do it. For our friendship." Something about Yerin's words caused the delay of breathing and the sudden roaring of blood inside Mingyu's ears. Disappointment was never a welcomed guest in Mingyu's mornings. 

 

He opened his mouth, but the passageway for words were blocked as nothing registered to form a word nor a sentence, and only a small, sharp intake of breath and its release resonated from his spot. Yerin's fear came true, and she had not thought of its consequence, so she stood up with downcast eyes and teeth clenched due to awkwardness and secondhand distress, and startled the youngest inhabitant of the room from where it rested. 

 

"I see. Is perrywinkle still your favorite color?" Mingyu inquired after the long silence, and while they both know that he never excelled in the art of lying, diversion was the least that he can do.

 

"Yeah. It still very much is."

 

"I'll find you a bush with that color. I can assure you that." That did the trick, Mingyu thought. Yerin snickered at his remark, helping herself in patting his dog's head before she intended to leave his place, although it softly bit on her fingers. She winced at the unfamiliar feeling, but before it preceded with its activity. Mingyu dived on his bed, stomach flat, and scooped his young retriever. He looked up and laughed bashfully at Yerin. "Apologies. It's a puppy thing. I only wear long sleeves whenever I go out." Well, that explained the symmetrical red dots on Mingyu's skin.

 

"Oh." The concern for Mingyu's and his dog's rabies shot did not cross her mind until she made her way back to her own room, although a seemingly more important question popped into her mind. "So, what's its name?"

 

He hummed; Mingyu seemed to be in the depths of rooting out from his consciousness a single identifier for it. It was a she, for starters, but that was it. Two plates in a week, cleaning the mess that she made inside his room, and taking out Yerin who was quick to dump him were more important that this little dilemma. "Do you have anything in mind?"

 

Yerin's face lit up, reflecting Mingyu's perspective of her in his life. _"Haebaragi._ "

 

His fingers threaded on the short and warm coating of her fur. "It's too long, but you know what? She'll keep it." He rolled to his side, with Haebaragi coming up close to lick his jaw. The sign of affection was solemn, a splash of innocence that Yerin had never once witnessed. It was unimaginable but the retriever might have had understood human conversation, Yerin thought.

 

"I think she likes it." Mingyu raised her, her little legs dangling in the air. She scurried on the ground when Mingyu released her below, and sitting straight up, he gave Yerin a good view of the marks embedded on his skin when his finger glided at the side of her face to sweep up the unruly strands of her hair that found their way behind the soft curve of her ear. "Did I wake you up?" 

 

The faint taint of red on her cheeks were gone. So did the one thing that he hoped she still clung on. 

 

Yerin placed a hand on top of his warm one, bringing it down on his bed. The pressure was quick, although it never persisted into anything more than that. "Uh, nope. I made your order from last night, so that'll be five thousand won."

 

"Twice the price from a cafe, but I understand since it's express delivery." He chuckled. "I'm um, too sprung to get my wallet so how about a car ride for the whole week?" 

 

"Better." Mingyu's advances were at its prime again, but honestly, Yerin could not say no to free transportation. Mingyu was setting his head on his pillow when he felt that this conversation was going to die down. "Do you want to have lunch here later?" Yerin declined, stating that her mom prepared food for them. A jobless Sunday (or any day, for that matter) was a rarity for her, and she even made her favorite leek pancakes.  

 

"See you tomorrow, then." Mingyu's words trailed off, although he did not intend to sound weary. The temptation to sleep was strong, succumbing to it by force when Yerin closed the door with a light thud. His eyes shuttered into obsolete darkness, and the warmth of the room seemingly depleted at the absence of the one who brought it to him.

 

 

"Kwan, I'm not gonna drag Yerin into this. We're neighbors." Hansol stretched his whole body on his bed lazily as Seungkwan typed away his strategic management homework on Hansol's Mac, frustration getting a hold of him as his fingers navigated for the small "ctrl" button that seemed to hide itself from Seungkwan's large set of eyes. He turned to Hansol, who at that moment, had his full concentration in his Logic handouts. 

 

"Bud, your laptop is very odd." Seungkwan did a gag by seemingly trying to locate the button under Hansol's device. "Where's the control button?" 

 

"You use the command instead."

 

"Oh, thanks." Seungkwan could finally edit his work without the hassle of clicking too many times on the mousepad. He tried to find Google, but whatever the OS system was of this foldable aluminum was certainly, an enemy configured especially for him. If only his own five-year-old laptop was not up for repairs, Seungkwan had finished his report ages ago, but he had not seen Hansol or any of his friends in a while, so dovetailing ensued. 

 

"I'm never getting a Macbook in my entire life." Seungkwan huffed, fishing a chocolate bar in his backpack and placing one beside Hansol as well. "It's not very cost-efficient too."

 

"It's pretty handy for me. I mean, it's got Bandcamp." Hansol propelled himself and plopped on his pillows, eating Seungkwan's offering. Bits of it sprinkled on the book on his lap, causing him to leave marks of chocolate-infused saliva as he pressed his fingers on them. 

 

Seungkwan nodded his head, swiveling from his chair. "Agree. Anyway, is Yerin home?" 

 

"I guess so. Why?" 

 

"You did tell me that Goeun met her..."

 

"...which is very annoying. Yerin's must've been weirded out. She only met her once and now my ex is asking her a favor to patch us back together?" Hansol conveyed the truth with controlled anger, which does not seem to die out as soon as he spat out his words. Hansol knew one thing for sure that Goeun never understood the meaning of contentment, for indulgence was certainly, her lifestyle. 

 

Seungkwan could only snicker as he imagined that ticked off face of his friend's bratty ex. He used to like Goeun before she showed her fangs. "I haven't seen Yerin in a while! I got highly-coveted tickets to SNSD's showcase. Might as well give one to her, then?" 

 

"You literally barged into my house to use my laptop, only to share free concert tickets with Yerin?"

 

"You aren't really a fan..." Seungkwan trailed off, with Hansol gawking at the two pink pieces of glossy paper on Seungkwan's fingers. "Besides, I can assess her for you. She needs to pass the 'Choi Hansol's BFF Compatibility Test.'"

 

His eyebrows knitted in confusion, much to Seungkwan's joy. Hansol always had the best forms of expression in his book. "I don't recall giving you a friendship test. And Kwan, what are we, second grade? Aren't you tired of prepping your whole childhood for nationwide exams?" 

 

Seungkwan shook his index finger along with his head. "You've misunderstood, bud. She needs to get through me before she moves to the final stage. _You._ "

 

Hansol could feel his eyes stinging when the wind of the fan hit his eyes as he directed his attention to Seungkwan and his" test" proposal. "Pardon me?" He choked out with a snarl, but much to his awareness, his ears had already shown a shade of red. 

 

 

"I don't think an interrogation at nine in the morning would be fruitful, Kwan." Hansol murmured beside his friend, who was frantically waving his hand on Yerin's house's intercom. 

 

"Relax, I'm just gonna tell her the good news that she'd be seeing Hyoyeon. We both worship her, you know." Seungkwan's joy faltered when nobody answered the door, but when they decided to retreat back to Hansol's place, Yerin got out, looking annoyed, and Hansol swore that was what Seungkwan looked like, amidst the morning person that he was, when he wakes up at the presence of the sun in the sky everyday.

 

Seungkwan arched an eyebrow before Yerin glanced at him, and she immediately softened at his presence. "Hey Seungkwan, what's up?"

 

"Guess what I got!" He singsonged. Seungkwan was clutching on something behind his back.

 

"A puppy with rabies?"

 

"Um, good guess, but no." 

 

Hansol snickered at her statement. "Do you have one?"

 

"Mingyu does. I just baptized her earlier." She raised two thumbs up, obviously proud of her achievement. "Anyway, um, is it Kyochon coupons? Because I'd definitely like a box right now." Yerin felt like a pregnant woman with bizarre cravings due to her period, although she would gladly share the good consequence of her misery to one of the best personalities that she had met through Hansol. 

 

"That will come with these, but that would be after we see them! Okay, I give up." Seungkwan flashed the tickets in front of her, bopping his whole body up and down when Yerin expressed the same eccentric sentiment. Then the sharp pain pricked her, and Seungkwan looked down to check on her sudden odd behavior.

 

"It's my time of the month. Gross, right?" She managed to reason out, although Seungkwan was already nudging Hansol to find a hot thermos at his house. "No, it's fine. I just need to lie down or something."

 

"My sisters have it bad every month too." Seungkwan was patting Yerin on her back. "On the worst of days I have to buy three packs of heavy-duty napkins. The grocery girl gave me the eye, so I returned the favor too."

 

"You give _everyone_ the eye." Hansol remarked, handing Yerin the hot packet. She was making her way back to her home when Hansol exited his. "Just give it back whenever you want. Sofia's got a spare, anyway."

 

Yerin bowed and muttered 'thanks' profusely when she entered her house, missing out the sight of Hansol elbowing Seungkwan on his arm, reprimanding him of what his intention was earlier. "Mind you, she sleeps like a log. I guess you'd be having lunch with us today. Mom's making her awesome chicken casserole."

 

"Doesn't she pair it with her blueberry pie as dessert?" Seungkwan asked hopefully.

 

"Hell yeah, so you're staying. I'm experimenting on a demo, and I need your voice." 

 

"I don't think I could sing after eating your mom's pie. My whole being's going to be bloated." Seungkwan responded with a nervous chuckle. 

 

"But you have the audacity to blabber the whole afternoon with Yerin? I'm going to put you into good use, bro." Hansol justified a little angrily, to which Seungkwan snorted.

 

"Okay, fine. Not gonna hang out with Yerin. Gonna hang out with you, instead. Check. Anyway, what's the deal with you and Goeun? It's a rhetorical question, but I still want to know."

 

Hansol was pushing the door to his house as his eyes identically tried to fend off the temptation to roll them. "Yeah well, had not she shown me what she really is, we're probably gonna be ex-buddies, Kwan. Get it? She's horrible. She knew I hated people... whose mindset and disposition are like hers."

 

Seungkwan snorted, waving to Hansol's mom who was preparing the ingredients for lunch. There was the red couch, worn from its age identical to Hansol and Seungkwan's, where the latter loved to fold his legs as his friend occupied his bed. Seungkwan hated Hansol's bed due to his smelly bedsheets, although he never noticed if it had changed from the fragrant fabric conditioner to its current dank one. Hansol's mom trusted Seungkwan on this task, since it seemed like he was the only person in thie world who can remove Hansol from his bed, along with his two-month old bedsheets. "As much as we both know that she has done collateral damage, you guys need closure. She'd leave you alone if you end it."

 

"Oh man, she has no intention of leaving me. Should I change faces? There's a plastic surgeon in Gangnam..."

 

"...and walk in on one of her friends who has an appointment there?" Seungkwan raised a brow, arms crossed like a suspecting wife of a cheating husband. "That's a option, since it seems like she's only after that pretty face of yours."

 

Hansol stifled a laugh. "Thanks for the compliment. I guess you're right, but why are you so forgiving towards her? She really did you dirty on everyone's Twitter timelines to save face." The anger in the pit of his stomach gurgled furiously, and the memory of her notorious acts still continued to put uneasiness in Hansol's nerves. 

 

Seungkwan was never in denial to his family and close friends that Goeun's actions disorganized his way of life. Maybe he was fragile, but there is only a certain degree of tolerance for bullying of those in power. "Can't deny that she almost ruined me, but I'm never going to see her again, I know. Unless she goes to Jeju, of course."

 

"Her family has a membership at some resort there." 

 

"Okay, that settles it. I'm moving to Japan. Okinawans eat only veggies, you know. Dad said they make the best salad that there is." Seungkwan chuckled, fully knowing the twisted look of Hansol's disgusted face at the mention of his edible nightmare. "Anyway bud, you really need to change your bedsheets. Yerin will be here in the afternoon."

 

"You invited her?" Hansol's brain whirled into a mini tornado and Seungkwan slyly smiled at his inquisition. 

 

"Yup, so get your ass off your bed and I'll help you change them. For the record, your bed is nastier than Goeun."

 

 

Yerin can barely remember the time that she felt this kind of relief, or this comfortable silence for that matter. Serenity was disturbed on her bed sheets, with ruffled lines evident especially on the area that she lied on, close to the wall that separated her from the Kims. She traced unruly bumps of the cream-colored concrete with her free hand as the other one lost itself in her hair, thrashed during her nap in ailing her cramps. Yerin's fingers acted absentmindedly, but her mind regretted one thing only. 

 

She hesitated to retrieve her phone on the nearby desk, her bed roll now irrelevant. The guilt of hearing Mingyu's voice, all enthusiastic yet baritone, would only add to her misery. Avoidance was the last on he list, although she could not wrap up a clear thought of a Mingyu-less life.

 

Was she selfish? The thought bubbled into seething, burning foams that scratched on memories of mornings, the café, Hansol's veranda where Mingyu started to drape an arm on her to keep her body temperature intact, the bus rides where he held her close as she tried to slumber in his assuring grasp, and more recently, his lips on his cheek and brow. Mingyu's got so much to offer to her.

 

Yerin had none already. 

 

The hands on the clock indicated that it was half an hour after lunch. The stretch of the long hand paralled the shorter's, and everyone knew that it was just a short while before it became one 'o clock in th afternoon. To Yerin, however, it looked like it was chasing the line pointing to one, but a meeting will never resume after midnight falls. 

 

Yerin decided to brush her hair, remembering how its unruliness had Mingyu tutt-tutting affectionately when he wanted to take a good look of her morning face. She had accustomed herself to his proximity that he so eagerly and shamelessly presented to Yerin. Mingyu knew he was good-looking, but seeing him up close, with his upturned and crinkly brown eyes and and soft, pat-worthy cheeks, there was an uneding list regarding his features, and ten-year-old Yerin had a dreamy insight regarding it. The flashback was harder to brush off than her hair, but she made her way to Hansol's apartment with Sofia's hotpack on hand. 

 

Hansol and Seungkwan were playing some bloody game on television, and animated splatter of the dead's remains had Yerin's face twisting in disgust. 

 

"You made it! I take it that you're okay now?" Seungkwan chirped with enthusiasm, pausing the game as Hansol passed a bowl of barbeque-flavored potato chips to her. "Sorry for the... graphics. But I swear, I'm kicking Han's ass by a thousand points. He's as slow as his character."

 

"Mind you, I changed my bedsheets in five minutes." Hansol replied. He chose to focus his attention on munching his food rather than picking out a fight with Seungkwan, whose retorts go way beyond the limitations of their arguments. Hansol sometimes thought that his best friend was on the wrong track, having taken marketing instead of law. 

 

"You should've seen her Yerin. It was like a variety show challenge. Turns out I just had to let him smell the difference of Pigeon from a month-old pizza." Seungkwan remarked. The couch was now vacant because of the two, who retreated back to Hansol's quarters with food clutched close to their chests. Yerin still had the hot pack, trading it for a bag of pretzels that Seungkwan gave her. He acted like he took residence there, making sure that Yerin was comfortable as possible, who opted to sit on the dubiously waxed flooring. The ground was plagued with scratches,  especially near Hansol's study table. It was a shame that such wooden surface was tarnished, though she questioned her worries over it.

 

"Mingyu would go nuts when he sees this. He'd find a way to polish this the way it was before." She chuckled, then mumbled. "He always does."

 

Seungkwan signaled Hansol from his favorite couch, mouthing "competition?" with an eyebrow-raised and alarming look on his face. Hansol's face scrunched up, shaking his head in whole honesty. 

 

"So... are you guys a thing now?" Hansol cleared his throat. It was honestly, a privy question, though Yerin had surpassed her barriers, amd it was all thanks to him. She replied tentatively, turning her head with certainty that shocked Hansol for a bit. He met Mingyu pinning on Yerin for the past months, and the relentless thrive to win her hand was vehemently, amusing and courageous. Hansol was, however, absent when it was the other way around, and it was during those moments that Yerin really might have had needed, a reality check on the person that she should actually be with. "But you slept together." He hypothesized, clearly unaware of Yerin's purpose for going at Mingyu's house that morning.

 

Yerin reached out to whack his head, and her giggles bubbled inside her stomach, minimally depleting the anguish she felt just below it. "I met his puppy. He wanted coffee so I brewed for him. It's the least I can do after last night."

 

"So you guys really did sleep together." Seungkwan confirmed with direct certainty that was absent from Hansol's inquiry. 

 

"Yeah, under his own family's roof. His dad would probably have him castrated by now." Yerin faux defended, enjoying the sight of the best friends' contorted faces. "You guys, Mingyu's bed may be as huge as he is, but I have my own house. I might never even step inside his room again." There was a book unfolding that rang in the ears of those present in Hansol's room, its plot thickening due to the immense curiosity of those who encounter its pages. "I dumped him, but I'm ecstatic for our camping next weekend. You're boys... what do you think? I'm not really proficient on this kind of things."

 

Seungkwan glanced at Hansol, whose eyes were as huge as his. "Oh my god, so you are sleeping with him."

 

"That's not the point." Suddenly, having an irrational conversation with the two guys annoyed Yerin. "I need total guy advice. I really want to go camping with him, but not with him, if you know what I mean."

 

"Then I guess, you guys need to do simulation? After all you did mention that he has a nice, fluffy bed." Hansol reasoned out, causing a fit of laughter from Seungkwan. Yerin was otherwise, glaring at them. "In all honesty I think you should drop it. Go camping on your own, or get yourself your own tent."

 

Yerin snorted. "Yeah, but problem is, he's using my tent."

 

"Is he a sound sleeper?"

 

"I... think so? His mom used to drag him off bed when we were ten."

 

"Case solved!" Seungkwan declared. "Just drag him out after midnight."

 

"Mingyu doesn't look like he'd do something to you, though. And if he really digs you, he ought to be proper and all." Hansol exclaimed. "Just call us, all right? Me and Kwan will be in patrol. He just got his license."

 

"Save our numbers on speed dial, Yerin." Seungkwan diplomatically replied, standing up to hand his phone to Yerin for her to punch in her number, though he has a more violent intention directed at Hansol. "As for you, I'm not your driver. I didn't take the exam for you to fail yours a hundred times." He reprimanded Hansol, kicking his folded legs. Yerin swapped her phone with Seungkwan's, thumbing the number two on its keypad. It directed a phone call to a certain 'Jeon Wonwoo,' eliciting a small, internal panic attack from Seungkwan, who was quick to press the red button, though it turned out that whoever he was (he already presumed the stranger was a guy) a swift texter as well.

 

"Funny, that's what Wonwoo told me too." Yerin said as Seungkwan retrieved his phone. She relaxed herself on the floor, her hands supporting her weight as she made herself loose from the tangles of uncertainty. The knots were now in smooth and aligned nerves that eased her up. "So guys, you either get three or four. He's two in my phone." She checked her messages, recalling the sound of the vibration in Seungkwan's previous grasp. "Looks like you already knew, Seungkwan. The guy's been bothering me to check out a flower shop that holds ikebana classes, and my state right now doesn't allow me to, but he thinks it's a yes since I called him." Yerin turned her phone to Seungkwan, who automatically squinted at the bright and sudden visual intrusion that came from it. 

 

_Hey. dad left his sedan with me for the week._

 

_Ilhwa's open until ten! wanna sign up? you know i do_

 

_Yongin's nearby. traffic isn't that heavy right now_

 

_I won't let you drive. I swear_

 

_Seok's mom makes the best bean paste stew_

 

_And army stew_

 

_Basically all kinds of stew known to man_

 

_please_

 

"The damage has been done." Yerin declared, nudging Seungkwan to sit beside her. She tossed her phone to his pillow-stuffed lap. "Got any solutions for it?"

 

He clicked his tongue in dismay, but he was typing a reply anyway. "You've been just stripped off of your camping patrol privilege, Yerin."

 

Hansol plopped his chin on Seungkwan's head, eyeing the message that he was writing. "Dude, it's her right. Besides, you were the one who did... collateral damage." Seungkwan, in turn, took hold of Hansol's neck, lightly shaking him as he texted with the other hand.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> after seeing seventeen twice this year, I can't help but go skkkrrr pap ka ka over seungkwan. tbh i clutched my heart way too many times when he stood up and said his ment in sg, as well as smiling towards my direction in their mnl gig (HDOHFIO CHEESY BUT YOU GUYS JUST GOTTA KNOW)
> 
> I also got the chance to hi-five them in sg! I wore tall shoes but it still wasn't enough for mingyu's height, who, by the way, is so tall that I met his chest at an eye level only. I missed the chance to see him, because he was already hi-fiving my sister lol 
> 
> I love how I wrote about seungkwan here though!! hope you guys do too hehe


	8. Wonwoo's Jacket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yerin sees things a little more clearly.

Wonwoo usually had his bangs tickling the skin a little below his eyebrows where they met his round glasses. His green sweater placed emphasis on the broad shoulders that covered up for his lanky, albeit muscly torso. It contrasted with his light washed jeans and his Lacoste slip-ons, though in Minah's perspective, his lax way of clothing was something that understated his attractive, brooding aura that he exhibited on his seat. Their "meeting" (Minah would like to think that it's a tête-à-tête) was a favor from a senior who lent him notes for his Lab class, whose drawings of microscopic beings were at par with Mingyu's plates in the scientific field. His sister must have had seen him from God knows where, minus the glasses and with a laboratory coat on, and was swiftly smitten at his looks (the plaque looked good on his hands as well, she thought).

 

The cold brew that this café had was inferior to what he usually had, and Wonwoo swore that he wanted to get out of the place as soon as possible. Noontime was hours away, and schemes of a quick yet formal exit were already in the works before she even stepped inside the charming interior of the shop. When she sat, he already knew that he wanted someone else to take her place.

 

"The pasta here is divine." Minah exclaimed pleasingly amidst Wonwoo's corporate formality and lack of initial attraction. He shook her hand the way she saw her father greeted top-notch surgeons and neurologists at their family's hospital. "There's a winery nearby. Maybe we could go there for dinner?"

 

"I'm not so much of a drinker." He replied, dissolving the possibility of an invitation at a bar. "Anyway, your brother is amazing. Jehoon's frequently endorsed by our professors to intern at their clinics. My friends and I worry that our spot will be taken." He chuckled humbly.

 

"If that's the case, I think daddy's planning to have an internship opening this summer. That way, you won't have to worry about it. He's heard about you, and he will be very pleased to have you in the roster of interns." Minah was adamant to have Wonwoo at her father's workplace where she could keep an eye on him. She even thought of transferring her drawing table and sketches at a spare room somewhere within the vast vicinity of their private property. "I'll give him my word regarding this, I can assure that."

 

Boy, people with power sure do get everything in their way, Wonwoo thought. "This is too much of you, Minah. I can't just accept that."

 

"I'm just helping you out." She replied innocently, glancing at his large hands that she wanted to trace around her body. "Just send in your application form. I'll ring the HR for this."

 

There was the temptation to accept, really, though Wonwoo dismissed the idea of nepotism as quickly as shunning her advances in guise of a friendly "referral." "I'd apply there too, but there are other hospitals that I'm going to try my luck out." 

 

"Wouldn't you want to stay here?" She titled her head, her arms folding neatly on top of the table. Her red lips quipped in a pout as her body moved forward. 

 

Wonwoo shook his head. "It's been too long since I've came home. I've wanted to do my internship somewhere in the south, in all honesty."

 

"Aw, that's so sweet." Minah cooed. "You aren't leaving someone here?"

 

Wonwoo's default expression finally broke down into a happy, positive change as it rose up her a corner of his mouth into a placid, peaceful smile. The perfect row of teeth flashed, and suddenly, his eyes became much livelier. Minah initially thought that he was incapable of doing so. "It was never a nuisance for her to travel." 

 

At least there was something good to talk about, he thought. Minah tried her hardest to digest her _divine_ pasta for lunch.

 

* * *

 

It had actually been a while since Yerin read a paperback that was not a requirement in class, though as much as the online national business trends was interesting that it had her reading several chapters already, the small whorls of the ends of her hair were not as curly as she wanted them to be, but she hoped that her gray bateau dress was at least, more ironed than her hair. The self-assessment gradually subsided when another book caught her attention, and the depletion of her artisan chocolate drink (it was her free day anyway, so she decided to let her coffee brewer take a rest) also served as a leeway to temporarily vie her attention from herself. It was an hour later that she felt someone tapping her shoulder, a faint notion due to the thickness of her coat. Wonwoo grinned bashfully, scooting shyly next to her. He got his glasses case from his trusty leather backpack, placing its content for a much clearer vision of what she was reading. He noticed the thick pages that had amassed between her left fingers, and he hummed contemplatively. "Did I keep you waiting?"

 

"I don't mind. I haven't had this solemn fun since... freshman year? Or high school. I can't even remember the exact moment in the past where I did." Their proximity allowed Yerin to see her reflection on Wonwoo's glasses. She actually looked... pretty. She was uncertain if she was for other people, though. "Which reminds me, I need to check on glasses. My eyesight's becoming terrible." Wonwoo honestly wanted to stay longer beside Yerin, who was more glad to accept him in his personal space. However he did remark her difficulty with her sight, noticing her multiple squinting since their lunch at Subway. He stood up, giving Yerin a good look of how he picked his choice of clothing. Wonwoo looked brazenly handsome in his linen shirt, its traces of folds smartly covered by his brown bomber jacket, navy blue slim jeans, and indigo Chucks that he got on a buy-one-take-one Converse sale with Mingyu as college freshmen. The shoes, as typical as they were, were Yerin's favorite, a classic grounding of what Wonwoo really was to people who knew him way back then.

 

The selection was the armor of confidence, Wonwoo thought. Seokmin accompanied him through the maze that was Dongdaemun, and when it was not enough, his Broadcasting major friend (Also, a minor in Voice. Seokmin's mom always told them boys to follow their dreams, so even though her son slept in cram school, Wonwoo always had to check up on him since Missus Lee had been doing him a large favor of letting him call their home his) dragged him to Apgujeong, where they finally snagged his cigarette brown coat of leather. ("It's an investment." Seokmin stated simply as Wonwoo chucked him in the shin. His friend dodged him, fortunately.) The best part was the Italian restaurant where they had their dinner. It was a bit pricey, but good food always came for a hefty price (except those overrated churros served at a hippie truck inside campus).

 

Yerin caught the swift quick assessment of Wonwoo on her, and she knew that when the small gap of his mouth closed in place of a much brighter disposition than what he had already possessed earlier, her early presumptions were mistaken, and that was all that matters.

 

Wonwoo was adamant to show Yerin one of his favorite places; it was all wishful thinking in the past, and he wanted to blame his lack of courage for a tête-à-tête. When he saw an opportunity for such, his doubts were exhausted. It was a surprise, really, that Wonwoo held out this long for Yerin. It might have had been this longstanding and dormant adoration that kept him in his premed course; his capability of withstanding both shone a new ray of hope for him, that he, a person carved by rules, was finally becoming human.

 

The clouds refrained from showing the sun, and the absence of heat made every passerby walk in delight. The couple was not an exception, especially since Wonwoo loved to drive with the windows opened. Yerin thought it was unusual, though her mom never really owned a car, so such initial experience was gladly accepted. She thought it was perfect actually, that sunless afternoon with Wonwoo behind the wheel, humming to the eighties soloists that reminded her of Sunday morning radio when they were twelve, and munching on crunchy M and M's that he had in his backpack. Wonwoo was telling about a story about his professor that barely taught with sense, so when the old man unplugged the internet cable of his bored pupil's PC stealthily, Yerin laughed so hard that Wonwoo had to put the car on hazard at a corner to pat her back. Yerin was flustered and wheezing on her seat, and when calmness took place, their eyes met. Wonwoo, however, started cackling, his nose scrunching as he threw his head back. 

 

"I haven't had a good laugh for a while." He tried to say earnestly, but his laughing defeated the genuineness of his words. Yerin buried her eyes on the palm of her hand, though it was gradually weighed down back on the leather car seat when Wonwoo, with a grin on his face, brought her hand on it. It was a short dated moment-from the travel below to the warm, minimal pressure of his hand, surprisingly soft for a male- before he went back on his driving. 

 

(Wonwoo made a mental note to thank Seokmin for his three hundred-thousand won jacket.)

 

He pulled over in front of an antique store, or so it seemed. Yerin was internally dying when she realized she forgot her credit card, bringing only the right amount of cash for her future glasses, the restaurant bill, and her partition for Wonwoo's gas. Other than that, she only had twenty thousand won with her. "Are you sure that this is the right place?" She asked, nervousness creeping in her system as she imagined sketchpads and cheap watercolor palettes at its stationary section, though she quickly tucked in those thoughts when he placed an arm around her shoulders, guiding her inside the store.

 

"Well, that was deceiving." She remarked. The interior was vastly illuminated by fluorescent lamps, giving life to the products proudly bounded there with clear glass. The place did hold a reminiscence of the past, with its popcorn machine and coffee stand that were at the farthest corner of the shop. A man, presumably forty, was on his swivel chair, tinkering on a watch under his personally-lit cubicle. 

 

Wonwoo tiptoed to see the man in action, an artisan that specialized at everything that his shop sold (he made the best popcorn. The butter perfectly doused on each and every kernel), to glance on his work. He never let any distraction through, pushing any barriers to finish his diagnosis on the intricate timepiece. The cup of coffee beside him, barely empty and showed no indications of warmth and steam, was left untouched after brewing a kettle for himself.

 

He hoisted her up on the waist, as if Wonwoo knew that the fatigue was swelling up due to the weight on her toes. She chuckled, jerking her elbow below his chest, but she eventually returned the gesture of resting her hand on his side, its warmth radiating through the mildly abrasive material of his white outerwear. Wonwoo narrowed his eyes with a faux questionable look, but there was a playful quip of a smile that he showed to Yerin, who never knew that it was exclusively for her, in addition to the subsequent grin that showcased his set of teeth. "Can you see better now?" He quietly asked. Yerin was otherwise enamored at the intricacy of the work, sharing the sudden joy of the shop owner when the ticking of the clock ensued.

 

"Oh! Wonwoo, you're here. I suppose you're here for either of the two things: an eye checkup, or snacking on popcorn with your... friend? I hope it's the latter. You have me hoping of this occurrence since your solo trips here." 

 

Yerin introduced herself, impressed at Mister Jang's work. "How long have you been working on this, sir?" 

 

"I suppose, since the last time he went here." He replied. Wonwoo's eyes were still wide from the artisan's first words after his watch repair, obviously used to his dedication on his hobby of tinkering watches. He tugged the fingers of Wonwoo's hand that grasped on the barrier of his cubicle, clasping the metal, tepid from his grasp and the lighting, on Wonwoo's wrist. "Your Patek's good as new! The couch's all yours, but don't go eating the rest of the popcorn, kid."

 

There was a little coy grin that Mister Jang sported when he was preparing his equipment for the seated Yerin, foot tapping and head nodding to the unfamiliar yet homey tunes of synthesizers and saxophones with their occasional bumps that discorded her rhythmic movements. Wonwoo was the root of the melodic background, and the way his fingers danced with a soft, sudden grip on the records produced a meager stack beside the turntable. His inability to recover from the warmth of one person, oblivious to his glances that caused a bloom of red in his ears and cheeks, was still in effect as it was just moments ago in the car and upon her first meeting with his godfather. The series of inquiries over glass adjustments and her campus life kept the optometrist and his patient occupied, letting Wonwoo the luxury of grasping his free-flowing mind. It was never an easy task when she was around, and for once, taking control with assertiveness was his dominant tactic. 

 

He shoveled popcorn into a bowl, bringing it closer to Yerin's arm that rested on the cool, varnished table with barely a scratch on it. From her side, Wonwoo could see her squint, mouth agape before dictating the ant-like letters flashed meters from her. Her fingers took hold of the popped kernels and enclosed them in her mouth, thereby the slur in her answers.

 

"Always the nuisance, Wonwoo. Bohyuk wouldn't have been the little devil that he is right it if weren't for you." Mister Jang tut tutted, plastering a mocked look of anger at his godson. His dimples surpass any sign of his current age, and while Yerin was extremely apologetic of her childish misconduct, the man waved it off with a chuckle. "My only concern is that you'd get butter on my glasses. Wonwoo, do you mind?"

 

Wonwoo timidly nodded, and soon he was displacing off the wrong set of glasses from Yerin's face. Their eyes aligned at each other, and Wonwoo swore that any matter but her whirled into oblivion, paving the way to focus on her details that was a privilege beforehand. He heard the the soft clank of the metal hitting the marble, the footsteps that tapped on the floor, and the soft murmur of his godfather, yet the auditory distractions proved to be nonsensical as he felt himself inching to Yerin. Wonwoo was still in trance, and his inability to break off his withstanding glance was only made difficult due to its reciprocation. He was at last, inside her orbit, and Wonwoo had become, more or less, aware of his standing in Yerin's life. 

 

"T, A, D, N." Yerin recited enthusiastically, almost without effort. Wonwoo prevented himself from clapping or howling; no action too embarrassing or the consequence would prove to be an minus for Yerin. He did, anyway.

 

"Everything's in 1080." Yerin remarked, returning the beaming smile that Wonwoo had. "I could even see your pimple on your chin!"

 

He snorted, eventually laughing at how she pointed at her own, raising the plump skin of her left cheek. "Other than that, you have godawful nice skin. Do you get discounts from the dermatologist as a Bio major?" Yerin commented, though she was not quite focused on Wonwoo's ebony dermis, nor on his knife-like eyes that begged the chance to look bigger behind his glasses. She went beneath the exterior, the soul that realized for what she was worth, and Yerin made the decision to envelop herself with Wonwoo.

 

They bid goodbye to Mister Jang at dusk and headed off to a café near the US Embassy. The domimance of orange over white lights hid those who wish to be confidential with their identities, giving them the privacy that they wished for. A quick glance of the menu from her seat had Yerin tensing up. "Are you sure you're up for an all-day breakfast meal? Maybe we could grab your flat white to go." She suggested, closing off the menu with an opulently plated sixteen thousand won for a Caesar salad. Did the President of America toss the greens himself? Were the tomatoes grown at the most covet greenhouse? Suddenly Yerin felt that she and Wonwoo were underdressed for such a natty coffeehouse even though they were impeccable clad in the best way. 

 

"I saw a dumpling house across the gingko tree that you pointed at earlier. The hakaw and chicken feet look scrumptious there!" Yerin suggested. Hopefully Wonwoo would fall into her diversion of a twenty thousand won and below menu choices.

 

"That sounds nice. If you're still up for it, we can have Auntie Kwak's hotteok for dessert at the market. That way, our dinner can go down since it's a ten minute walk from the gingko tree."

 

Yerin's elation to his approval and suggestion had her leaning close to Wonwoo. A voice told him that it was the starting to be a mundane act, but even at its prematurity, he could not help but swallow nervously while spring came into full bloom everywhere in his system, with petals of pink and red scattering all throughout his every vein and every cell. 

 

"I'm glad that I came with you here. I can tell it's your special place, and each nook, corner, and street just screams... you. It's a total escape from Seoul." Yerin said earnestly. She anticipated the glint in his eyes and the shy grin that crawls on his mouth at every complement that he received.

 

"You know me too well." 

 

"Just a speckle. We have three years to catch up on." She responded. Hopeful for their future plans, Yerin clasped a hand on his arm, caught in between of shyness from lowering it to where it rightfully belonged, and the assertiveness to commit such an affectionate act. Wonwoo had nonetheless, found comfort in draping his lengthy arm on her back, and she was happy to oblige.

 

He felt her stiffen when somebody called her. The girl, with a foreign lady seated beside her, was waving graciously at them. She smiled sweetly at them, urging them to sit down as the staff hurriedly connected a table with opposite seats. 

 

"How'd I say no?" Yerin whispered, panic evident in her question.

 

"We can handle this." He reassured her, patting the spot where his hand rested on her. "Who is she? The lady with her... is the ambassador's wife." 

 

"Goeun. Long story, but I'll tell you later over shrimp dumplings."

 

Yerin and Wonwoo never made it in time for the dumpling store, but they did feast on freshly made hotteok that he always went back to as a kid vacationing in Seoul. A number of stalls had come and go, and he barely remembered the faces that made a living at the roofed marketplace. It went the same for him as well, but he had come back, and this time, Wonwoo had Yerin by his side, who burned her tongue the moment she bit on her hotteok.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a while! as you guys can see I update hella long. idk too. I'm very bad with continuance but I won't give up on this. Hopefully, my small number of readers and the ones who would stumble upon this would be understanding 
> 
> also!!! comment below hehehe they motivate me!! thank uuuu


	9. Mingyu's Picnic Basket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mingyu's gradual acceptance of how ill-fated it is.

"So let me get this straight. Goeun was dining with the US Ambassador in Jeongno?" Seyeon's perfectly straight eyebrows formed into a broken V, and there was a pinch of skin that burrowed itself in accordance to their movements. A portion of her skin lost its dew, partly due to the stationary wine glass that stayed on her cheek. Yerin thought her best friend looked stupid at that momen as they wind off with a bottle of alcoholic grape juice and skincare masks at the living room of her home. The television was on with low volume, but Yerin eventually figured out how to connect Seyeon's phone to it, increasing the sound to a minimum. The speakers played quiet acoustic songs, mainly Standing Egg's, as she knew that Seyeon's mom had taken a liking for the group as well.

 

"Yeah. It's funny, actually. Wonwoo recognized Goeun because he goes to a spoken poetry gig when he has time, and it turns out that Goeun's some kind of Lang Leav there."

 

 

Seyeon hummed inquisitively, her eyes ogling straight at her best friend as she propped her chin. Her face was starting to become matte, much to Yerin's relief, because the urge to palm her face away was strong. "So how much time have you been spending together that you now know his lines?"

 

Yerin shrugged, but Seyeon caught the small, uplifted curve of her face, making her sit up. "Well, uh, he took me to his godfather's store for glasses."

 

Seyeon sighed. She already knew where this was going through, though it would take a heavy width of persuasion to do so. "So, it took you Wonwoo to realize you're... blind?"

 

Yerin snickered, not quite catching Seyeon's intentions, so she replied bluntly. "Yeah, but he said he has it worse. He can barely see anything without his glasses or contacts. I thought he was kidding but he really was squinting hard when his godfather checked up on his pair for maintenance."

 

Seyeon sneered at her dense remark, but she continued. "So after that, you went to the cafe? And Goeun appearing like she's some cultured truffle at every place you guys go to?"

 

"Apparently, she's everywhere." Yerin groaned, remembering her treatment over Seungkwan. "Sans Hansol, Mingyu's the only one who hasn't seen her after the breakup."

 

"I'm getting a little bit creeped out." Seyeon remarked, pointing on the small hairs of her arm that stood in alarm. "But I'm glad Wonwoo swayed it off diplomatically. Nothing beats a man like yours, Rinnie."

 

"I don't own him." Yerin nudged a giggling Seyeon quite hard, yet it only resulted into another fit of laughter. 

 

"Yet. I thought it was just a glance back in high school, or a quirk in the lips that I swear to God, you just did right now because you're obviously thinking of him." 

 

"Yeah, maybe I am." Yerin admitted. Her drink faintly resembled the hue of her cheeks. "He's still great to be with, and it's a sign that being comfortable with him isn't a job."

 

"Wonwoo makes you feel that way? Oh my god." Seyeon's voice faltered dreamily. "Has he asked you out yet?"

 

"Oh yeah. A cafe, a dessert shop, and the coolest yet is floral design classes! They're fun, but we've only been out thrice. He's quite busy so we can't go out too many times, but you know what, Seyeon? He makes time for me, like I'm prioritized next to his sleep."

 

"Uh-oh."

 

"...I don't see it as a bad thing?" Yerin nervously exclaimed. There was a sudden gush of anxiety that swirled inside her stomach, yet to her surprise, Seyeon mauled her with a hug, nearly tipping off the glass that was cold on her hand. "Holy shit. I almost mopped your floor at this hour. Tell me when you're about to kill me with your bare hands next time, okay?"

 

"Wonwoo's gotta take notes. I'd say, he should never tell you when he's gonna kiss you." Seyeon gushed, pinching Yerin's cheek. 

 

"Are you suddenly a lesbian now?" Yerin gruffed, sneakily hiding Seyeon's glass beside the couch. It was their second bottle, after all. Seyeon shook her head, bursting out a laugh. 

 

"Yeah, about that. There's this really pretty girl in class, and I told Hojin about it, so he literally has to drag me to my next one." 

 

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?" Yerin questioned, but Seyeon snorted. 

 

"But in all honesty, Wonwoo hasn't asked you out? Mingyu's circling you like a hawk, and he's got an advantage, geographically speaking." Yerin replied with a negative.

 

"He better act soon!  In fact, we better call him right now or-"

 

It was a fifty-fifty possibility that Wonwoo would call of all people, yet her phone vibrated with its constant fervor, and on the screen flashed a video request... from Mingyu. Yerin saw no trouble pressing the green button, as it was rare of him to do so.  

 

"What did you do?!" Seyeon whispered frantically after peering behind her shoulder. On the other line, Mingyu looked immaculate in his white striped pajamas that contrasted with his damp, black mop of hair, and the golden, hyperactive ball of energy that scurried on his back. 

 

"Hey! Look who just got her first bath... by me!" Mingyu exclaimed proudly, though fatigue was evident in his puffy eyes that closed midway. Haebaragi served as a small fur carpet for his chin, blocking his face for the most part. Amidst all of them, his eyes still seemed to twinkle even when they were endangered to shutting down. 

 

"How was it?" Yerin asked as she carefully lied down with an arm behind her. The drowsiness was also kicking in, and Mingyu was quick to notice it, placing his small puppy on the ground and resting a cheek on a taut muscle on his arm. 

 

"Oh man, it's a chore that I still need to get used to. She just splashes everywhere. She seems to like it, though!"

 

"She deserves a treat. Like, a huge biscuit. Did you give her one?"

 

"Oh no, no. Haeba's on a diet. And she might get used to it, too. Golden retrievers are really smart, from what the vet told me." Mingyu said proudly, and there was a glint in his eyes that awfully resembled her mother's when she was wearing a toga. Yerin would like to think that way, yet something bugged her that the auditory silence that came afterwards was a sign of a conclusion. Mingyu begged to differ. 

 

"So uh... you still aren't asleep at this time?" We're both college students! Stupid, why would you ask that? Mingyu steered his head to another direction abruptly. He really was his dog's owner. "Uh, I mean, your mom had dinner with us, and she told me that you're at a sleepover."

 

"Mhmm. Seyeon and I wanted to watch a movie, but sometimes they don't go as they're planned." She chuckled, and Mingyu felt his heart bursting at the absence of any signs that this conversation was ending soon. Yerin tilted her camera to Seyeon, who was already dozing off with her mouth open. The bottles and her glass encircled her surroundings. "I won't be there until noon. Seyeon's dad does the most amazing _sujebi_ , from what I've been told. I've sworn to an oath with him that I'd get to try it first thing in the morning."

 

Mingyu hummed inquisitively, and his eyebrows knitted before his face glowed due to an idea of his. "I'll pick you up!"

 

Yerin blew a raspberry at her neighbor's chivalrous gesture. "I'm gonna puke inside your dad's car. Would you like that?"

 

Oh god, no." Mingyu spoke sourly, as if it was him that was digesting the acidic quality of alcoholic fruit. "You're so gross, you know that?"

 

"Right back at you." Yerin clicked her tongue confidently, to which Mingyu rolled his eyes with a smile on his face. He would like to think that he looked charming in eight megapixels since she effortlessly was. He adored this Yerin more than he ever thought. 

 

"My professor thought I looked good with a guitar, and you know I haven't touched one since choir practice back in fifth grade, because of you know who, but I still played a little bit of what I know-just A string, maybe a couple of other chords that followed a melody, and everyone clapped for me." Mingyu blabbered on for what it seemed like hours, and to Yerin's surprise nobody in his family had knocked on his door to shut up their unusually talkative first born. Yerin lost count of how many rolls her eyeballs had produced, although it had a fair share of misfortune-induced chuckles, mostly rooting from Mingyu and his rapid-fire mouth. 

 

Always a crowd pleaser. Mingyu had always scored a clincher goal, reached the finish line with osmotic fingers, and paddled his way to victory with his boat team. There clearly was no room for failure in Mingyu's book, and Yerin, given a major obligation to finally intercept the very thing that he was driven for, was in the middle of confusion. She wanted out, really, yet his steady pursuance in the guise of their friendship was difficult to spot, like finding a needle in a haystack. There was always the right time for everything, and having a good, long talk with him was already planned out. The concept of a rehearsal regarding the conversation still gave Yerin the heebie-jeebies, but it was a lot better to have in mind rather than bumbling like an idiot in front of the former boy that she might have loved. 

 

The whirlwind of uncertainty had dwindled down, but there was still the inevitable swirls that were patterned out obliquely. Their elimination seemed more like a problem than a solution, yet Yerin knew that she had to deal with such at one point. Time made them much more complicated, and there was always, the ever present hinge of regret that could have been put into place if Yerin looked at Mingyu the way he did. 

 

"Remember choir? Your mom bought us ice cream every Sunday." Mingyu proceeded to daydream. A cup of his favorite treat that he used to top with gummy bears, felt like eons ago. He was proud to conceive his own money from his ironed slacks, mostly coins and crumpled bills, as he put his weight on his toes to nudge Yerin's mom for his contribution. Her docile fingers was in inertia on his mildly waxed hair that only let go when he dashed to feed his wailing little sister and the reluctant Yerin who would prefer carp bread over ice cream even in her sleep. 

 

"I said I never preferred ice cream when uncle carp bread outside the parlor exists." Yerin grumbled, but it was an easy worry. Such conversations exclusively with Mingyu revolved around petty debates about preferences and childhood. The real matter here aged in maturity, making it a lot more complicated. It belittled Yerin most of the time, and it had reflected on her actions. 

 

"What are you thinking about?" Mingyu's tone sounded more accusing than curious, so he held his breath at his little error, but Yerin hummed in consideration of her words. Turned out, a voice call was much easier when both parties were on the brink of slumber. Mingyu would hate to end the call, but for some reason, Yerin still had not pressed the red button. They both agreed that a video call strained the muscles that held their respective phones, so they settled in with the raspy, albeit clear signal, tones of their voices. Mingyu was very keen of how that night was a dream, yet the call for rest was torturing him. 

 

"Just... how I've changed. It's for the better, right? What do you think?" Yerin aired out, voice full of eagerness yet hushed in the manner it was said. It was, however, the lullaby that rang in Mingyu's ears for the last time at dawn. His regeneration that morning varied from what he could recall in his years of existence. 

 

For now, he would retain his answer beneath the depths of the junction between his mind and heart, settling it in a box that needed intricate unfolding. Each layer is an experience, some endangered by its age, but nevertheless kept in their rusty forms. Mingyu took a dive underneath his table for a yellowed box, pulp-ridden and musty-smelling, and took off its lid that triggered his allergies. His sneezing session came to an end when his fingers rapidly standardized themselves through his unruly, savage words as a gradeschooler. There was still however, simplicity and naivety with his basic writing. Surely, Yerin was better at that even at such an early age. Mingyu disposed writing for photographs instead, and it was only in the later pages did he dwell more on writing due to prioritizing his allowance on food and Pocari Sweat after practice. Film had always been expensive, it still was according to Minghao, but it really served it purpose of freezing the superlatives of life's mortality. Yerin was barely close to Mingyu as children, and when ranked, Seokmin comes first, Minseo at second, Wonwoo at third, and him. His argumentative self created a polar magnet relationship between them, but when dinner time came, they both found no difficulty in placing the best part of their helping of meat. It was an unspoken rule between them, maybe because Mingyu got too ecstatic of becoming Minseo's model older brother even before she knew how to hold chopsticks. 

 

He had accumulated a number of desired photos for reprinting in his visual memory, but deciding on what to frame was a struggle too personal for external assistance. Another notebook and a couple of sneezes later, Mingyu had meticulously released one from its paper frame bondage, and he recalled the events of the photo like sun-dried, lavender-scented sheets that cover his mattress and pillows  Yerin, albeit a missing tooth, shone like a little sun without knowledge of its blinding capacity, her dandelion Sunday dress matching perfectly with Mingyu's collared beige Ralph Lauren. Her palm was soft and her fingers gladly accepted his protective (and scared) intrusion, swaying rapidly his free hand at a bee that came too close to them. Maybe because she was a little flower in that knee-length skirted bodice. Mingyu could still hear the dangerous buzzing that nearly attacked him, though even with its stinging spike, no sensation too painful can compare to his latency. If only. Yerin throwing up in the car would not even be a nuisance if he could rub circles on her back while she did so. 

* * *

The democracy to use the car resulted from a leg accident that sent Mingyu's dad in the infirmary. A cast and a wheelchair became convenient for the older Kim, and it became a blatant excuse to have everyone in his household serve him his two cups of tea during leisure time, turn off the television showing the 101 on dogs for him, and speaking of dogs, had Haebaragi exclusively roam around the rooms of his children. Minseo only permitted her once, so the young golden retriever spent her days sniffing a sleeping Mingyu on his bed. She apparently loved cuddles, and her energy seemed to dwindle down whenever Mingyu caged her with his arms. 

 

Come Saturday, Yerin was dressed in a carnation pink tank top layered with a thick white chambray. She seemed to own a new gold-buttoned black skirt that reached up to her knees, and she doted on her purchase by smoothing out the wrinkles with casual twitches. Mingyu was scratching his foot with his other toe, eyeing the middle-aged man from the tenth floor that stepped on one of his neon green slippers. He seemed oblivious of his action, moreso Mingyu's piercing gaze. He diverted his attention to Yerin.

 

"You aren't gonna be out just because your mother ran out of milk for fried chicken, am I correct?" Mingyu inquired, and there was nothing impressive about his sleeveless tee and high school jogging pants that hung already above his ankles. Yerin answered him upon reaching the lobby.

 

"There's a discount on two milk cartons. Can we split the bill on that? Mom will appreciate it." 

 

Affection amplified his reaction as Mingyu guffawed at her. "I need those two cartons for the both of us. Mom said she'll be handing out a plate for you, guys. Anyway, going again to another frat party? You'll be the belle of the ball there." He remarked in a whisper, voice glazed with the positive, genuine truth he wished that she could hear if Mingyu had the permission. Instead of a rebuttal, Yerin thanked his compliment, and he preened at the simple gratitude. His words were one-sided, dependent of its noble deed, though there was an absence of disbelief or refutal. 

 

"I'm heading out to Jamsil for Girl's Generation. Sure you'd hate to come after you infiltrated my CD player back then." 

 

"It was my eleventh birthday party, after all. My word is law every April 6." Mingyu huffed, but he stretched his tanned muscles with a grip on the bench that awaited passing public transport vehicles. He could have had just drove her there, but Yerin always refused. She said she liked riding buses and subways, often mentioned how she hated heading off to destinations under the hood of a vehicle that only carried a few people when there are modes that can benefit a lot. She was always early, and Mingyu found himself squeezing at the corner of the elevator in the morning while his father greeted long-time residents that has given them family specialties at least once in their tenure. When he drove, his father brought up anything under the sun, and that included the rightful owner of the unoccupied passenger seat.

 

"Did you bring up to Yerin that we pass by her university every morning?"

 

Mingyu's eyes were trained on the road, a rightful excuse at that. "Yeah, very much."

 

"You know, when your mother and I were young, I used to drive her to places until she decided where she wanted to stop. So, she'd make this little map of places within the vicinity of Seoul with drawings and all. You got it from her. She's artistic, but you're better." A fond snicker from the back. "Don't tell her I said that."

 

"Thanks for the compliment, Dad."

 

"Of course, you need one. Your soul seemed to have skipped breakfast this morning. In the past mornings, too."

 

The car halted before the red light. Fast pedestrians in corporate and uniformed attires stepped on white, parallel line in hopes of getting to the other side before their exlcusive green lumination exchanged with what the vehicles followed. Mingyu's vision drifted off to those legs that hurried beyond his windshield, a little grateful that all of them succeeded in their quest. It was a grave mistake to glance at the mirror where his dad seemed to anticipate an identical, but much younger, set of eyes that depicted nihility stripped from their homey pretense. 

 

"She... I think Yerin likes someone, Dad. You can't really force a person to like you but I had high hopes that it was me."

 

"Ah, my words will be belittled by your mother's." Mingyu's dad chuckled, and he forwarded ever so slowly to pat his son's shoulders with encouragement. "That doesn't end there, Mingyu. I don't know a lot of things about women, but I took note of everything about your mom."

 

Mingyu kept silent after that. When he parked the car next to the elevator, his father advised him. "Do what you think you should do. Rationally, of course." Mingyu was bemused with curiosity the moment the elevator door closed.

 

* * *

It was the drive that guided him at nine-thirty out on Saturday, all snuggly in a thick sweater of wool and dark jeans to go with it. Placed in a Lock and Lock container was a heaping pile of chicken, glazed and breaded just the way he liked it, that sat comfortably on the passenger's seat. Fifteen minutes later, the exit passageways were clotted with heaps of people coming from the stadium. Their pink banners hung on their shoulders rather sadly, a contradiction of its gay attribute. Mingyu clicked off the seatbelt buckle and jolted outside to meet the cold air, head crained amidst his stature, for someone who only reached below his chest. His phone pressed in his ear, and after a few rings Yerin picked up. He found her later skipping to where he was parked, jacket buttoned from the uninviting cold. Yerin had a peculiar grin when their eyes met- Mingyu had an eyebrow arched. She moved her head from both sides slowly, and she entered to her seat with mild surprise due to the immobile and warm occupant of it. 

 

"You didn't have to, really." The lunchbox sat steadily on her lap, but the hunger was draining her system very badly. Mingyu ran the engine, yet ignored the lever and kept stationary. The warmth coming from his manual adjustment of the button was unable to unfreeze the tension that had surfaced when he introduced Haebaragi to her. 

 

"Well, I want to." Was Mingyu's stubborn answer. Yerin was used to this childish attribute of his, though it had poured itself into a new mold that was very different from the familiar. "Also, we have to be up early to go camping shopping tomorrow. I'll be making kimbap with mom tomorrow, so stay tuned."

 

"You always entice me with food." Yerin grumbled, but she still had not opened her meal.

 

"And it always works. Hurry and eat it, or else I'll stop whenever you try to bite one." Mingyu threatened, but he showed no sign of doing his duty as a driver when he slumped on his adjusted chair that allowed him to stretch his legs on the wheel. 

 

"You know I'm not in the mood to. Maybe I will, later at home. You're very much invited for a midnight snack." Yerin assured, though she was half certain if this was a decision that weighed in on something good. A part of her still believed it was admirable spontaneity. College gave them the leeway for compensation of the complexity of high school schedules and relationships.

 

"You sure have a lot of time in your hands." Yerin leaned on the leather, cool and inviting for slumber, though Mingyu had been a great companion recently. She cannot comprehend the thought of losing him. "For you to spend it on me... just, thanks."

 

Mingyu was ready to blurt out a cheesy "Anything for you," though he thought better. Yerin had been dodging his advances with formality, and the line between them had grown thicker. Albeit such he still saw her efforts of keeping up their deep-rooted bond, and it crushed him so that it had failed to blossom flowers of his birthday's trademark.

"I spend my time wisely." He simply said, and his right hand that accompanied the other in maneuvering the wheel looked for that familiar softness. He hoped to linger more than five seconds, to have his hand transcend to an assuring grip from hers and have her traced the callouses that she might have had learned to love.

 

Mingyu retracted her physical interaction from Yerin's hair after a puppy pat, and he mused out how much he missed his canine child. Yerin operated the radio skillfully, tuning it up exactly at its best reception. She hummed at melodies meant to be played at night, shamelessly but without really intending to make Mingyu felt the drowsiness (and auditory adoration) kicking in. He mildly slapped her closer arm and swatted in irritation of her station choice, and if not for their survival on the line at that moment, Mingyu would not give an ounce of care if his face muscles felt like as if his mouth was injected with anesthesia.

 

In her kitchen, Mingyu rested his bobbing head on the mosaic counter top. His long arm was pressed on a plump cheek, half-lidded eyes blinking slothfully on a chicken-eating Yerin. 

 

She nudged a drumstick centimeters before his face. "I'm warning you, that concert was three hours long, and maybe I cried for another hour because it's their last one as eight. I have all the capacity to gobble this up."

 

Mingyu moved to rest his cheek on a palm, eyes fully sheathed with his lids. Yerin thought that his eyelashes looked beautiful, but she would not say that out loud. "We have more at home, so who's the real winner here?" He fished out his phone from his hoodie's pocket that threatened its demise when left to  succumb to gravity, scrolling down on a list that drained half of its battery life as Mingyu warmed up his knees against the bitter cold on his car seat that night.

 

The screen glowed dimly at her eyes, and Yerin snickered when the keyboard popped out without Mingyu knowing. He did not take this reaction lightly and proceeded to nudge his head with hers, knit eyebrows in question of Yerin, and seeing the cause of it he hummed irritatingly. "I'd appreciate it you could've warned me of what's happening, but  thanks!" He tapped the left arrow back. "Here's a list of things that we should get tomorrow with our total expenditure below, or should I say, our shopping agenda in twelve hours." He forgot to count how many our's were part of his sentence, nor did he remember casually  stretching his arm across the backless swivel where Yerin sat on, and he doubted his unconscious intention was to flex his sore muscles since she could, at any time, fall with her spine down first. "A little bit pricey, that's for sure, but I'll cover you. You're looking at the brand new model for Levi's! " Mingyu exclaimed, pride swell and genuinely happy at his declaration. Yerin was in disbelief of how he had reached another milestone in his young life.

 

"You are insane, Gyui." When his childhood name slipped out from her voice, Mingyu's exuberance from his face fainted, and a bashful, unmasked grin was the result of an uncontrolled, blossoming affection nostalgic of his scooter-riding and babysitting days as a gradeschooler. Nobody ever called him like that in years, and to hear it again was a nothing short of positive reminiscing. 

 

Yerin felt that she crossed the danger zone again. She froze on her seat, mind idle and body unable to function for its purpose. She took control of both a few seconds later when she hopped to clean the glass containers in the sink, scrubbing off the sauce and other impurities a little hard. "I just... wow, Gyu. You really hit the jackpot. Or maybe not. Soon you'll be walking at runaways so, please don't trip."

 

"I don't aspire that high, but if you insist, I'll take up modeling gigs to improve my art." He shrugged, taking the space beside her as his hand ghosted over the heavy glass with a towel for drying. The dry container sat on the counter, ready for its return at his home, though he stood stationery, elbow stretching beside it, and scrolled again on his phone, this time, with pruned fingers, to show his accomplishment. "What do you think?" He eagerly asked the person on top of his list, and the familiar air of pride was building up inside of him again.

 

"You don't have a butt." Yerin nonchalantly remarked, eyeing the flatness of his bottom over denim and glancing at him without any remorse. "I'm kidding, you're cool. Took you long enough to sign up for things like these." She broke character, and Mingyu received a pat just below his spine. It would linger on a little longer when her fingers clung on his side weakly, for support, he assumed, to swipe for more of his shots inside the curved piece of weight that she held on her hands, and Mingyu swore it was a branding iron that was loose across his upper posterior, though it was a good burn, a sole reminder that Yerin and his allowance-driven but artistic little sister justified the long hours under the circles of light that could fry him up, the itchy make-up and retouching as he sat on the chair that blasted another set of blinding luminescence in front of him, and the narrow gazes of other long-legged individuals during the shoot. Far beyond his bungalow of paper and fine pencil was modeling, and while he did enjoy both, judgement was only welcomed upon his submission of his work for review in architecture, not for lucky referrals and a good personality. He can hate modeling, though it fueled his excitement with its vivid dynamism.

 

When Yerin stretched her arms, Mingyu chuckled for finally reaching him. "Will you save a seat for me on the front row?" Mingyu mused at her inquisition, as the desire to plop on his pillow was beyond the bare minimum.

 

"I'd even pose for you."

 

"I hope you're going to model thermal underwear next season." She joked, and their giggles erupted throughout the hallway, suppressed laughter bouncing on the walls that tried to hide from their dozing neighbors.

 

* * *

There was _kimbap_ already packed in heat inclusive containers, two jugs each containing cold chocolate and rice tea, and a heaping pile of choco pie in its original box. He knew Minseo had to do with this; she never failed to bring her favorite snack at any picnic.

 

"What's all this?" Mingyu was mildly bewildered as he sat before his breakfast, hands still rubbing his tired eyes.

 

"You're going on a date with Yerin and your sister, right? Oh, and I also packed Haebaragi's things. We won't want her to get too fat in her first month, so easy on the treats, dear." His mother replied with perfect enunciation, as if she had rehearsed the words last night. "No coffee for you, college kids. The choco can suffice."   

 

Even after a cold shower, Mingyu failed to piece up what was happening. Another (acceptable) date with Yerin (enforced by his mom) was a strike deemed unacceptable by the boundaries that she had placed, yet it seemed like he would not be replaying their first date kiss for the meantime, at least, not for now. When his body refused to rest at night, he retrieves her memory, of how their eyes reached at the same stance, her previously straight hair flowing carefree after her mother removed her ponytail to brush it, to trying to keep his composure as time was an exclusivity for them, and intimacy, though novel and daring, was permitted.

 

Mingyu cannot remember the last time he wore this shirt. The previous seasons regulated thick clothing, but only his button down, rolled up to his elbows and two buttons popped from his neck, was fit for a picnic date. At least he tried to think so. He clearly remembered that the tag attached to it specifically said it was for summer.

 

"Just so you know, mom left enough money for the three of us." Minseo warned as she rang the doorbell of Yerin's home. Mingyu shrugged. It was too early to debate over allowance from their parents. Besides, Haebaragi was keeping him busy, and the itch to let her out of her bag was a temptation for scatching.

 

Minseo shrieked when Yerin welcomed them, her shoes still trying to adjust to fit its owner's. Mingyu would probably do the same thing if not for his self-control, since she looked amazing in her simplicity, and her cream-colored top coincidentally, matched his. She looked fully-rested, and she seemed to glow as she basked under artificial light. Mingyu felt quite nauseous at her overwhelming presence.

 

"You look awfully pretty today." Minseo remarked, hooking the tumblers' straps on both of her brother's shoulders. She clung an arm on Yerin's, pressing the button of the elevator with much enthusiasm.

 

"Is it heavy?" Yerin nudged Mingyu, who might have had seemed like he was a key hook without vacancy, but he shook his head. Yerin would not take no for an answer, and Mingyu jumped when the familiarity of her fingers almost grasped on his own. His grip tightened around the woven handle, but it soon came to loosen, like it was under a spell. Mingyu was bewitched, anyway.

 

"I could hear very fragile stuff in there, Gyu. Give it to me, please."

 

Beside his feet, Haebaragi was finally asleep in her bag.  

 

"Where should Haeba sit?" Minseo asked. The picnic basket was the first to take a spot in the backseat. Minseo disdained the shotgun seat whenever Mingyu drove, his chatting was relentless, and it never knew the existence of a red light. Mingyu thought it was best that his puppy stayed with his sister in the back for safety measures which left Yerin as the sole candidate to the seat beside him, but she dodged his gaze when the options narrowed down.

 

"He's nervous about this. You can tell by his petty decision making." Minseo whispered to Yerin  as her brother loaded up the car with other picnic essentials, but there was not so much to place when it was only until lunch time. "He could have just asked you to sit beside him straight on, but he really can't lie." Minseo said, failing to suppress her giggles as she entered the space with Haebaragi. The passenger seat's car door handle was moments away from Yerin's grip when Mingyu levered it for her and looked at him a little curiously, expression dubious to Yerin, and led her inside. He sped off to his seat after he closed the door, checked on the seatbelts of the girls, and handed Yerin his phone for GPS maneuvering.

 

Driving was a breeze, but Minseo scrutinizing  the couple in front of  her gave Mingyu the cold sweat. Yerin's attention was  behind her, craning her neck almost all throughout the drive due to Minseo's antics involving Haebaragi's licks and soft fur. He knew his sister was childish, but it reached a certain level that piqued his annoyance.

 

"Am I going to be a bridge of you too?" She asked with faux innocence, and to Mingyu's disbelief Yerin just laughed it off. He grew silent after an irritated groan, but Yerin cupped the curve of his ear and whispered a taunt directed at Minseo. His frown turned into a snicker, but returned upon their arrival at the park.

 

Little sisters and full parking were always a nuisance for Mingyu .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Was in a bit of a slump, but I'm still managing to do this. I'm sorry if I kept you guys waiting, but I really want it to be good! I'm currently working on another one, and as a little hint, it involves a boys in a ruckus (fits seventeen PERFECTLY), and lots of bickering (I love Chan in there). It's has less angst than this one too! whoop whoop
> 
> Please comment and send me kudos! It'll mean a lot to me c:


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